Removal of thirteen BT telephone kiosks discussed at Newark and Sherwood District Council economic development committee
Proposals to remove a number of telephone kiosks were presented at a district council meeting.
Negotiations have been going on between Newark and Sherwood District Council and telecommunications company BT over the potential removal 13 phone kiosks.
Members of the council's economic development committee were brought up to date on the progress of those negotiations.
The meeting heard town and parish councils could choose to object to the removal of its phonebox if they could provide reasoning, or choose to agree to the removal but ask to adopt the kiosk and re-purpose it.
BT posted notices in all of the potentially-affected kiosks in September and asked anyone who wished to comment on the removals to contact the district council by October, with the reason for their objection.
BT said it would charge only £1 to councils who did not wish to object to the removal of the phone but wanted to adopt the phonebox.
It would also maintain the electricity supply for free.
The re-purposing of kiosks has often involved having defibrillators installed.
The Adopt a Kiosk scheme is open to town and parish councils, charities and the owners of land on which the kiosk is situated, not other private individuals.
Two of the 13 kiosks are in Newark.
Neither the town council or local ward members objected to their removal, but district council officers recommend they are retained due to relatively high usage and because of the large number of households in their vicinities.
It was reported the kiosk near the railway bridge on Northgate had 200 calls over a 12 month period, and the kiosk on the corner of Barnby Road and Cromwell Road had 78 calls over that time.
Committee member Roger Blaney said: "I welcome the fact we are supporting the objections in every case."
He said it would be difficult to back any objection for the kiosk at Alverton and Kilvington, which had not been used once in a year.
Fellow committee member Maureen Dobson said: "I am delighted to see our officers really putting their foot down in many ways.
"There are certain areas in our district that do not have the facilities others have — like the bottom of Northgate.
"Lots of people do not have a mobile phone."
The kiosks being consulted upon are listed below with the usage over the past 12 months in brackets.
The Ropewalk, Southwell (131); Moorhouse (5); Alverton, (0); Francklin Road, Lowdham (6); Mansfield Road, King Johns Road, Clipstone (6); Kirklington Road, Rainworth (42); Whinney Lane, Ollerton (19); Forest Road, Ollerton (113); Tuxford Road, Boughton (50); Railway bridge Northgate (200); Baines Avenue, Balderton (18); Farndon Road/Long Lane, Farndon (1); Barnby Road/Cromwell Road, Newark (78).
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