BT launches plan to get councils to adopt unused red phone boxes (From Daily Echo)

BT launches plan to get councils to adopt unused red phone boxes

1:10pm Thursday 26th November 2009

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By Andrew Napier »

BRITISH Telecom has revealed that many beloved red phone boxes in the Winchester area have stopped being used by the public.

Villagers sprang to the defence of the boxes last year when the Daily Echo revealed BT wanted to remove more than 150, some 80 of which are traditional red ones, across Southampton, Eastleigh, Winchester, New Forest, Test Valley and Fareham areas.

In the Winchester area, campaigners persuaded the city council to step in to save 41 out of 43.

Now BT has outlined a new list of 44 red boxes that it would like to see parish councils adopt once they have been decommissioned.

It has revealed that a quarter have not been used to make outgoing calls of any kind over a recent 12-month period.

The seemingly-abandoned boxes are: Shipley Road, Twyford; School Lane, Bishop’s Sutton; Woodlands, near Bramdean; Station Hill, Itchen Abbas; Wonston Close, Sutton Scotney; Main Road, Easton; Old Alresford; Church Lane, Swanmore; School Hill, Soberton; Gordon Road, Curdridge; and East End, West Meon.

BT is keen to get rid of hundreds of boxes around the country, because they no longer make any money, but local authorities have the power of veto.

A spokesman said the new consultation over “Adopt a Box2 was completely separate to the consultation over the 43 boxes in 2008.

He said; “There are no current payphone rationalisation plans in progress and if a payphone is not adopted it will stay where it is.”

The company argues that in most places now there is full coverage for all mobile phone companies.

One campaigner – Charles Bazlinton who is clerk to several local parish councils, including Wonston and Micheldever – said: “If they are little used it does make it more difficult to make a big case.

“But removing them hits the poorest hardest. And it is important to retain them. We all know mobile phones have limitations.”

Mr Bazlinton has fought to preserve the box in Stoke Charity which only had five calls. He said: “There are a lot of thatched cottages in Stoke Charity. If there is a fire in the middle of the night and a passer-by has not got a mobile, to have a box is a backup.”

The boxes with the highest usage were in New Road, Colden Common with 165 and Hazeley Road, Twyford with 153.

Phonebox use around Winchester

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