- Decision
- allowed, 17 August 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: John Dowsett
- Authority
- Newcastle upon Tyne (North East)
- Appeal reference
- 6003400
- Application reference
- 2025/1512/01/DET
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Replacement of an InLink unit with a BT Street Hub 3 with two 75-inch digital advertising screens (linked advert appeal 6003398)
- Site context
- inside settlement, conservation area, listed building setting
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- No Framework version cited
- Determinative policies
- HE5(2)(b)
- Development plan policies
- Urban Core Plan for Gateshead and Newcastle 2015 UC12, UC14, CS15, Newcastle Development and Allocations Plan 2020 DM16, DM20
- Main issues
- heritage setting; character and appearance
Summary
A slightly larger BT Street Hub was allowed to replace an existing InLink unit on a busy Newcastle city-centre footway beside the Central Conservation Area and within the setting of the Grade I Earl Grey Monument. The Inspector found "a neutral effect" on the settings of the listed buildings and on the conservation area (DL ¶¶24–25). The letter, dated 17 Aug, cites the Framework only for the definition of setting and does not say which version.
What made the difference
There had been a like-for-like advertising structure on the spot for 10 or more years. The views affected were fleeting, and the Council had no evidence of how its significance was harmed: "change does not necessarily equate to harm" (DL ¶21).
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| HE5(2)(b) | neutral | neutral effect on setting of Grade I Earl Grey Monument, Grade II Parsons' Polygon, Eldon Buildings and Central CA; like-for-like replacement, Council gave no evidence of harm (DL 21-25) | |
| DP3 | pass | busy city-centre street already cluttered with black street furniture (DL 26) |
Key facts
- Replacement unit 286 mm wider, 70 mm deeper and 90 mm taller than the existing InLink
- Advertising structure on the site for at least 10 years; Council's conservation officer said the impact would be unchanged
Sources
This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.