Shropshire Council to announce initial view for public payphones

Shropshire Council is set to announce this week its provisional view on whether to object or consent to the removal of telephony from the 214 public payphones across Shropshire, that BT has proposed for removal.

Initial feedback from the public consultation has seen 20 Town or Parish Councils express an interest in adopting their kiosk which will lead to removal of the telephony. However, this will ensure retention of the kiosk itself as a local landmark, and for possible other uses like hosting defibrillators.

Of the 214 payphones, there are 66 where no response has been received to date. The Council will make its final decisions about all 214 at the end of January 2017.

Red payphone boxes at the heart of Shropshire public consultation

The view of Shropshire Council is based upon feedback received so far from local Town and Parish Councils, local policing teams, comments from Shropshire Council councillors and any responses to date from the public.

Cecilia Motley, Shropshire Council Cabinet member for rural services and communities, said:

“I’m really pleased to see the good response to this from local town and parish councils, whether it is a wish  to adopt their kiosk or a wish to keep it as an operational payphone for residents and visitors alike.

 

“Given our rural nature as a Council, it has already been very useful to hear from local people about continued usage of their payphones and ongoing concerns about mobile phone coverage. I would like to urge those who have not yet commented, and any members of the public, to get their views in to the Council before the end of January. This will help the Council reach a final view that as far as possible is based on the views of the local community.”

Town and Parish Councils are being asked to clarify if at all possible whether they would prefer to adopt and lose the actual phone, or object and retain the phone, if undecided at this time.

People are asked to contact their local Town or Parish Council in this first instance, or speak to the Community Enablement officer for their area.

Where a view has been expressed to object to removal of the phone, it will also be very helpful to have any further views such as specific reasons, like no mobile phone coverage or concerns about the phone being in an isolated rural area or an accident blackspot.

Where feedback has not yet been received, Shropshire Council has taken a default view at this time in favour of retention of operational payphones.

To find out if your local payphone is part of the BT proposal click here, or talk directly to a community enablement officer by contacting community.enablement@shropshire.gov.uk or call us on 01743 253077.

 See more on the proposed removal of Shropshire phone boxes here.