PLANS to have two giant touchscreen “Pulse Smart Hubs” in Crediton have been given the green light.

The monoliths will show adverts, allow people to make telephone calls, access a defibrillator and more.

They will be erected on Exhibition Road near Lidl and on the A377 opposite the Tesco petrol station. Plans for a third hub on the High Street near the former Lloyds Bank were scrapped.

Urban Innovation Company (UIC), which designs, develops and engineers the hubs, will pay for their installation, operation and maintenance through the advertising on the screens.

Crediton Town Council endorsed the plans and worked with the company on the proposed locations. The company originally wanted to have as many as 14 Pulse Smart Hubs around the town.

Each of the hubs will have a built-in public access defibrillator, a drug for the emergency treatment of overdoses, an emergency safety button for vulnerable people, a 999 emergency service button, the ability to make free telephone calls, free Wi-Fi, digital wayfinding and maps, wireless mobile phone chargers, and local event and service information.

They will be 1.66 metres tall, 0.93 metres wide and have two illuminated LED screens on each side.

“The proposed development comprising the installation of two Pulse Smart Hubs within and around Crediton, is considered to be acceptable,” said a Mid Devon District Council spokesperson, approving the plans.

“The proposal by virtue of siting and design will appropriately respect and relate to the character and appearance of the surrounding development.

“In locations where a minor level of less than significant harm to the significance of heritage assets has been identified, clear and convincing justification has been made for the proposals, and it has been demonstrated that there are public benefits that outweigh the minor level of harm identified.

“Additionally, the proposal is not considered to cause demonstrable harm to residential amenity or highway safety, or increase the risk of flooding locally.”

The first Pulse Smart Hub network was installed in Belfast in 2019. Urban Innovation Company is based there.

“The design of the Pulse Smart Hubs has been developed over time and is a high quality, multifunctional piece of street furniture which maximises the services available to the public within a footprint smaller than a traditional public call box,” said a spokesperson.

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

You can see the application on Mid Devon District Council’s website under reference 25/01501/FULL.