Have your say on the Removal of BT Telephone Kiosks

Purpose / Background

On 5 July 2023, the Council received notification from BT of its intention to remove 3 public call boxes in the Borough that are no longer needed because of poor usage. The proposed removal of the phone boxed has been assessed using the criteria in Ofcom’s Review of the telephony universal service obligation.

The Council as the Local Planning Authority (LPA) has been requested to provide feedback to BT on the proposal. The notification is part of BT’s obligation to undertake public consultation and consider representations made and the Council’s decision on the proposal before making their final decision.  BT’s own public consultation is in the form of a site notice, displayed in the subject public call boxes. A copy of the BT notice can be found here.

The Council would like to get feedback from the local communities about the proposal. Any public comments need to be submitted in writing to the Council as the LPA.

Why do BT want to remove Public Call Boxes?

Overall, use of public call boxes has declined by over 90% in the last decade and the need to provide call boxes for use in emergency situations is diminishing all the time, with at least 98% of the UK having mobile coverage.  This is important because as long as there is mobile network coverage, it is now possible to call the emergency services, even when there is no coverage from your own mobile network provider, or you have no credit on your phone.

The locations of the call boxes proposed for removal by BT are listed in the Table below, which includes a log of their usage over the last 12 months.

Please note: BT require a "reasonable justification" for an objection to removing the telephony not the box itself as this can be adopted by the community.  BT cannot remove a box if it is the last remaining in the area (i.e. more than 400 metres' walking distance from the next public call box) and it meets one or more of these criteria;

• it is in a place without coverage from all four mobile network providers
• it is located in an area with a high frequency of accidents or suicides
• it has made 52 or more calls over the past 12 months; or
• there is other evidence that the box is reasonably needed at the site - for example, if it is likely to be relied upon in the event of a local emergency, such as flooding, or if it is used to call helplines

More details can be found via the following link:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0035/47879/removing_callboxes.pdf

How can a community keep a traditional red phone box?

Local communities, councils, and charities can adopt a traditional red phone box and make it an asset for everyone to enjoy.  People across the country are using them for different purposes including cafes, mini-libraries, foodbanks, and as defibrillator sites.  Most red boxes can be adopted at a cost of just £1. Modern glass boxes can also be adopted to house a public defibrillator. For more information, please visit: http://bt.com/adopt.

When the consultation closes

The comments received will be incorporated into the Council’s formal response to BT. The Council has 90 days from the date of notification by BT to respond. The deadline for the Council to make its representation to BT is the 3rd of October 2023.