BT to remove local telephone boxes
Herefordshire Council Press Release
19th June 2008
BT needs to "think outside the box" says Herefordshire Council.
As Herefordshire faces the loss of 111 public pay phones, the council has accused BT of failing to meet industry consultation guidelines or communicate adequately with local people. The council is encouraging rural communities to have their say before it is too late.
The telecommunications giant wants to scrap what many remote communities see as a 'lifeline' because they no longer make enough profit. But as part of its consultation obligations, BT is required to inform residents that they should contact the planning department of Herefordshire Council if they have concerns about the removal of their local pay phone. There is also confusion about the deadline for consultation because notices posted in telephone boxes give different dates.
Herefordshire Council says BT has failed to follow its own consultation procedure, has provided no evidence for closure nor presented options for local people to consider. Communities may not be aware that they may lose their local public telephone kiosks and have a chance to save them.
"BT needs to think outside the box", said Herefordshire Council's leader Roger Phillips. "This is a multi-billion company that can afford to engage rural communities and parish councils and allow them to make representations, consider options or come up with ideas about how the pay phones could be kept open and viable".
"The county has several areas where mobile phone coverage is intermittent and in an emergency a public pay phone may be the only way that someone in distress could get a message to the fire and rescue, police or ambulance services. There are instances where people may run out of credit or battery power for their mobile and may need to make a reverse charge call. Or if your house is burning down, a payphone may be the only option for calling the emergency services".
"We are at risk of losing more than a few country telephone kiosks, we could potentially lose lives as well".
Jenny Hope, parish clerk of Longtown Parish Council, added: "We cannot afford to lose any public telephones in our rural areas, many of which do not have any mobile phone coverage. Residents, tourists and rural businesses will suffer, particularly in emergencies when the public telephone is the only means of communication".
People concerned about losing their local pay phone can contact Anthony Bush, parish liaison and rural services officer, on 01432 260611; or email: abush@herefordshire.gov.uk or write to him at Herefordshire Council, Plough Lane, PO Box 4, Hereford, HR4 0XH.
Local telephone boxes due for removal are:
 | 01981 540325 - Barrack Hill, HR2 8AZ |
| 01981 540481 - Kings Thorn, HR2 8EJ |
| 01981 540555 - Wormelow, HR2 8EJ |