BT Payphone Removal Consultation

British Telecom has started a consultation on their proposals to remove a number of the public payphone callboxes from within Stratford-on-Avon District.

74 BT Payphones have been proposed for removal which affects 58 parishes.

Stratford-on-Avon District Council, as the relevant local authority, is currently consulting with residents and parish councils giving them 3 options:

• to agree to the removal

• to adopt the callbox for use by the local community  

• to object to the removal 

The individual callboxes can all be identified by a Public Notice posted on them by BT, informing residents of their proposal and directing any comments to Stratford-on-Avon District Council. 

The consultation is now open until 5pm on Thursday 8 December.

Responses can be made in relation to your local callbox or to the overall proposal, please go to www.stratford.gov.uk/btpayphones2016 for further information and complete the short online survey form or alternatively email consultation@stratford-dc.gov.uk.

The consultation results will be reported to the District Council's Cabinet in January 2017, where a response to the consultation will be agreed prior to formal submission to BT.

Parishes affected by this consultation are:

Alcester (3); Alderminster; Arrow with Weethley; Aston Cantlow; Avon Dassett; Barcheston; Bidford-on-Avon (3); Brailes (2); Burmington; Burton Dassett; Butlers Marston; Clifford Chambers & Milcote; Ettington; Farnborough; Fenny Compton; Gaydon; Great Alne; Harbury; Henley-in-Arden; Ilmington; Kinwarton; Langley; Lighthorne Heath; Little Compton; Little Wolford; Long Compton; Long Itchington (2); Long Marston; Loxley; Luddington; Moreton Morrell; Newbold Pacey; Napton-on-the-Hill (2); Oxhill; Pillerton Hersey; Pillerton Priors; Priors Marston; Radway; Ratley & Upton; Salford Priors (3); Sambourne; Shipston-on-Stour (2); Shotteswell; Southam; Stourton; Stratford-upon-Avon (6); Stretton-on-Fosse; Studley; Tanworth-in-Arden; Tredington (2); Tysoe; Ufton; Upper & Lower Shuckburgh; Warmington; Wellesbourne; Whatcote; Whitchurch; Wormleighton; (Numbers in brackets show there is more than one phone box listed for that Parish.)

BT indicates that overall use of payphones has declined by over 90% in the last decade and the need to provide payphones for use in emergency situations is diminishing all the time, with at least 98 per cent of the UK having either 3G or 4G coverage.

As long as there is network coverage, it's now possible to call the emergency services, even when there is no credit or no coverage from your own mobile provider. Phone boxes are not being removed where there is no network coverage, in accident blackspots, and a number of other locations which meet criteria.