# St John Street outside No 407, Angel, Islington

- **Decision:** allowed, 16 September 2026
- **Decided by:** Planning Inspector: M Cryan
- **Authority:** Islington (London)
- **Appeal reference:** 6008701
- **Application reference:** P2025/3607/FUL
- **Procedure:** written-representations
- **Development:** Replacement of BT kiosk with Street Hub 3 unit (A, 6008701) and two 75-inch digital advertisement screens (B, 6008697)
- **Site context:** conservation-area, listed-building-setting, inside-settlement
- **Green Belt:** no
- **Framework applied:** August 2026 NPPF
- **Determinative policies:** HE9, TR4
- **Development plan policies:** Islington Local Plan 2023 SDMP PLAN1, SP4, DH1, DH2, DH6, T4, ST3, London Plan 2021 D3, D4, HC1, T2
- **Main issues:** conservation area and listed building setting, pedestrian safety
- **Tags:** tier-2, street-hub, telecoms, advertisement, conservation-area, transitional-no-consultation

## Summary
A BT Street Hub with digital adverts replacing a kiosk in the New River conservation area at Angel was allowed. The hub and screens would be read against the modern Angel Building, and the footway constraint was no worse than existing pinch points nearby. The Inspector did not consult on the Framework, as the relevant provisions were "not altered significantly" (DL ¶7).

## What made the difference
The modern commercial backdrop justified setting aside the conservation area guidance against internally illuminated signs "in this instance" (DL ¶15). The footway already narrowed either side at the bus shelter and cabinets, and those were "the more significant 'limiting factor'" (DL ¶23).

## Policy findings
- **HE9: pass.** New River CA preserved; slim dark hub a "modest improvement"; illuminated ads acceptable against modern Angel Building despite design guidelines (DL 13-15, 19)
- **HE6: not-engaged.** setting of grade II Old Red Lion preserved (DL 18-19)
- **TR4: pass.** public footway below TfL 4.2 m ideal without private forecourt but above 2 m; adjacent constraints are the limiting factor (DL 20-23)

## Key facts
- Existing kiosk tired; hub 3.0 m x 1.2 m x 0.4 m
- First digital advertising in that part of the CA; seen against modern five-storey Angel Building
- 5-year advert consent (10 years sought, refused)

## Sources
- https://appeal-planning-decision.service.gov.uk/published-document/f4c38bec-71e6-4025-97c3-4d55a23324fe
- https://appeal-planning-decision.service.gov.uk/comment-planning-appeal/appeals/6008701

---

Source: https://planningdistilled.org/research/england/nppf-navigator/decisions/PINS-6008701.html

A summary of a public planning decision, written from the decision letter. Not legal advice. © Planning Distilled. Released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/): share and adapt freely, with credit to Planning Distilled. Quotations from decision letters, plans and the Framework remain the copyright of their publishers.