Help hubs could be installed in city centre

Digital help hubs offering free wi-fi, phone charging facilities, touchscreen maps and defibrillators could be coming to York.

Plans have been submitted to the city council to install two of the devices in Parliament Street, along with three more in St Sampson's Square, Davygate and Piccadilly.

The hubs feature an 86in (218cm) screen to display adverts on one side with features including a 32in (81cm) touchscreen and public phone on the other.

Applicant JCDecaux said hubs elsewhere had been used for public information campaigns and 'tap to donate' charity fundraising drives, while also providing life-saving equipment.

The application said the hubs were designed to be a more up-to-date version of public phone boxes which have fallen out of use since mobile phones became widely available, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports.

The sites include a public phone which can make free calls to landline numbers and charities, as well as emergency services.

According to the application, the 32in touchscreens would default to a map of York city centre and also feature links to council services.

Other facilities include a wireless charging shelf and a USB charging port, features powered by solar panels.

Advertising revenue would help to fund the running of the hub's features.

Defibrillators across the company's hub network were used 400 times in two years, the company said.

The company stated thought had been given to the proposed locations in York and added that it was open to making changes if concerns were raised.

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