Residents urged to look out for attempts by BT to remove public payphones in strath
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Highland Council's convener is calling for eyes and ears on the ground to report any attempts by BT to remove public payphones.
The local authority has been alerted to a phone box in the Highlands being removed unexpectedly.
It follows BT's latest attempt to cull the network being thwarted by local opposition and the council.
Highland Council agreed recently to oppose the telecoms giant’s bid to axe every remaining single payphone in the strath.
The authority is responsible for coordinating the responses locally to proposed payphone removals under communications regulator Ofcom's rules.
Councillor Bill Lobban, local member for Badenoch and Strathspey, said: "It would appear that elsewhere in the Highlands BT has been removing telephone boxes despite being prevented from doing so.
"If you see any box in the strath being removed or if you see any form of notice being displayed that the box is due for removal then please let me know as a matter of urgency."
A Highland Council spokesperson said: "This may be new public notices appearing in call boxes, or the kiosks actually being removed such as for 'repair'.
"These removals are additional to the consultation which recently concluded and may include boxes which were not recently consulted on.
"We have been informed by one community council of removal of a kiosk in their area."
Ofcom states that BT must not bring a proposed removal into effect following written objection to the proposal from the council – this is known as the local veto.
A BT spokesperson said: “We’ve removed a payphone that had fallen on its side in Dunmaglass and was too dangerous to reinstate.
"This was done on safety grounds.
"Highland Council have contacted us and we are consulting with them about reinstating a payphone service at the location.
“We always follow Ofcom guidelines with respect to payphone removals. We will consult directly with the council on any payphones we propose to remove, where we are required to do so.”
Councillor Margaret Davidson, leader of Highland Council, has written to Ofcom to seek guidance on the applicable duration of the veto on removals.
The second bid to remove public phones across the Highlands came just nine months after the conclusion of the previous round on cuts to the region’s network.
Fourteen payphones had been at risk of being axed in the strath.
These were in Aviemore (Dalfaber, Milton Park and Grampian Road); Carrbridge, Kincraig, Kingussie, Newtonmore, Laggan, Ralia, Glenmore, Cairngorm Mountain, Grantown, Cromdale and Tomintoul.
There were 84 objections made against the local closures with 40 alone to safeguard the famous red phone box at Cairngorm Mountain.
Highland Council is to exercise its local veto to save 65 payphones and advises a further three be “adopted” by their local communities.
Forty phones are expected to be lost as there were no objections.
Councillor Lobban can be contact on 07557 566546 or by email at bill.lobban.cllr.highland .gov.uk
More on the Highland Council's objection to the removal of payphones following the latest public consultation can be found here
