Council objects to removal of phone equipment from red kiosks

Stratford-on-Avon District Council has issued its draft decision in response to BTs consultation on the adoption of kiosks to remove the phone equipment from 47 red kiosks across the District.

The District Council is proposing to object to the removal of 21 of the payphones, but is minded to agree to the removal of the phone equipment from the remaining 26. In a number of cases Parish Councils have indicated that they are willing to adopt the kiosk thereby retaining it as a feature within their community.

Comments are invited on the draft decision and should be submitted to the District Council by 5pm on Friday 30 October. 

Copies of the notification and schedule which form the Councils draft decision can be downloaded in pdf format from the following web link: http://www.stratford.gov.uk/community/community-2962.cfm

A list of the phone boxes proposed for removal to which the District Council is objecting is shown below:
 
Alderminster  
Alveston 
Arrow   
Ashorne   
Butlers Marston    
Earlswood (Malthouse Lane)  
Ettington 
Great Alne 
Langley  
Priors Hardwick 
Priors Marston 
Salford Priors (Iron Cross)
Shotteswell
Stratford-upon-Avon (Manor Road)  
Tanworth-in-Arden (Broad Lane)
Tanworth-in-Arden (The Green)
Walton 
Warmington   
Weston-on-Avon 
Wimpstone
Wootton Wawen       
       

"All of the payphones in this consultation are in traditional red kiosks and most are in rural village locations. We recognise that public payphones provide an important local service and the red boxes are regarded as key features in many villages. We have sought as far as possible to retain the phone equipment where they are justified by local objections to their removal. It has to be recognised however that in some cases the volume of calls is so low that retention is not viable. In these cases our decision supports those Parish Councils who wish to adopt the red box and retain it as a feature in their community," says Councillor George Atkinson, Portfolio Holder for Planning.

Further information on the process can be found on the OFCOM website.