BT wants to axe one-third of the Highlands' public phone boxes
It's good to talk, as BT used to say.
But the picture is looking somewhat different in 2016, with plans to shut one-third of all the public phone boxes in the Highlands.
BT has confirmed that 17 kiosks in the strath are up the chop in Grantown, Aviemore, Feshiebridge, Kincraig, Insh, Tomintoul, Ballindalloch and even at CairnGorm Mountain – the highest public phone box in the UK.
And they are looking to axe 159 of the 479 kiosks in total across the region.
The early sight of the "condemned" notices in Insh and Kincraig has already angered many locals who are calling for a petition to stop the move.
The notices, which give local users 42 days to lodge any comments - not with BT but the local planning office of the Highland Council - announce "Payphone kiosk removal".
"Hello," they begin. "Our information shows that this phone box has had very little use over a significant period of time. We’re therefore proposing to remove this phone box".
Lesley Dudgeon, secretary of Kincraig Community Council, however, said they provide a lifeline service.
She told the Strathy: "It’s all well and good talking about these boxes not being used very much but BT need to remember that the mobile phone signal around here is shocking.
"These phones can still very easily prove a literal lifeline and they should not be removed. We need them here."
"We have had many comments from villages very alarmed at the prospect of losing this contact with the outside world.
"This is all happening just as the digital roadshow is taking place in the strath, boasting about expensive (broadband) cabinets going in to serve those who happen to live with a kilometre of them. Beyond that there’s no superfast anything – still less mobile signal.
"We’re receiving a lot of concerned comments over this plan and just how many are they thinking of including in this clear out?
"Are we going to lose Feshiebridge phone box as well, right at one of the area’s most popular and risky swimming spots?
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"In local emergencies seconds can count and mobiles cannot always be relied upon.
"Only 02 does quite well but there are lots of black spots too and a publicly-available landline emergency service in this tourist area is absolutely essential."
Kincraig’s community council chairwoman Deidre Falconer agreed, and said: "It is absolutely appalling that BT intend to discontinue the use of these phones. We will certainly be putting in a very strong objection."
A spokesperson for BT told the Strathy: "BT is committed to providing a public payphone service but with usage declining by over 90 per cent in the last decade, we’ve continued to review and remove payphones which are no longer needed.
"Any removal of payphones is carried out in strict adherence to the Ofcom guidelines and, where appropriate, with the consent of local authorities.
"In all instances where there’s no other payphone within 400 metres, we’ll ask for consent from the local authority to remove the payphone.
"Where we receive objections from the local authority, we won’t remove the payphone.
"As an alternative to removal, we will continue to actively promote our Adopt a Kiosk scheme to all councils whilst being committed to maintaining the payphones that remain.
"There are 479 payphones across the Highland Council area and we’re consulting on the removal of 159 of them."
A Highland Council spokesperson said yesterday: "As yet, we are not aware of any formal comments being received by the council.
"BT has issued letters asking people to get in touch with the council but we have not yet received a letter from BT with the list of phone boxes which is scheduled for removal.
"If people do write in, we will acknowledge and collate these for preparation of a response to BT in due course."
The public payphones under threat locally are:
Aviemore – Coylumbridge; Lower Ski Lift, Cairngorm ski area; Glenmore Lodge. Grantown – Court House, The Square. Kincraig – Kincraig Stores; Feshie Bridge Post Office; Post Office, Insh. Tomintoul – The Square; Bridge of Avon; Stewarton Cottage, Bridge of Brown. Glenlivet – Glenlivet Distillery; opposite telephone exchange; Pole Hotel, Auchnarrow; Post Office, Tomnavoulin; Chapeltown, Ballindalloch.
