Highland Council looking to save up to 55 public payphones in region
Highland Council will decided next week on which public payphone proposed closures they will object to in the region.
BT are proposing to remove 110 payphones across the local authority area.
Under Ofcom guidelines, local authorities are responsible for co-ordinating consultation responses on behalf of their local community for any proposed removal of public payphones.
Objections to removal can be made, but this must be based on evidence of need.
Following a two-phase community consultation, Highland Council has received 163 representations regarding BT’s proposals to remove the public call boxes from across the region.
Members of the council’s environment, development and infrastructure committee will be asked to consider and agree a response to BT next Thursday.
A council spokeswoman said: "Based upon community feedback and evidence provided, the response proposes objecting to 55 payphones being removed with a further six to be ‘adopted’ by the local community."
The finalised response must be submitted to BT and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport by November 13, and will be published on the council’s website.
If BT disagree with any of the objections made by the council, the telecommunications giant will ask to formally review those objections with the council and Ofcom will consider the decision on which closures take place.
A BT spokesperson said they consider a number of factors before consulting on the removal of payphones including whether others are available nearby and usage.
He said: “Most people now have a mobile phone and calls made from our public telephones have fallen by around 90 per cent in the past decade...
“As part of the consultation we are also offering communities the chance to adopt traditional red ‘heritage’ phone boxes for just £1 through our Adopt a Kiosk scheme and transform them into something inspirational for their local area.
“The need to provide payphones for use in emergency situations is also diminishing all the time, with at least 98 per cent of the UK having either 3G or 4G coverage.
"This is important because 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.”
For more details on the Adopt a Kiosk scheme visit bt.com/adopt.
