Hoping to hang on to phone boxes
Nine traditional red telephone boxes in the Newark area should be listed for protection, according to Newark and Sherwood District Council.
The council is due to give its recommendations to BT this month as part of the company’s consultations on proposals to remove telephone services from 26 boxes in the district.
BT is promoting its adopt a kiosk scheme, where parish councils can pay £1 to keep the box after the phone has been disconnected.
Statistics sent to the district council by BT show many of the boxes in the district are rarely used.
At a cabinet meeting, the portfolio holder for sustainable development and regeneration, Mr Roger Blaney, said the days of the public telephone box were long gone because of the number of people who had mobile telephones.
“But they still provide a valuable service in parts of the country where mobile coverage is not good and where people don’t own a mobile phone,” he said.
Phone boxes at Kirklington, on Main Street, Winkburn, Church Lane, Upton, Main Street, Thorney and at Staunton have already been listed for protection by English Heritage.
The district council thinks boxes on Main Street, Epperstone; Holme Farm, Gonalston; Main Street, Hoveringham; Langford; High Street, Laxton; Maplebeck; Maythorne Mill, Maythorne; Main Street, Morton and Westgate, Southwell, are also worthy of listed status.
The council plans to ask for clarification on why the box at Norwood Gardens, Southwell, has been included in the consultation process because usage has increased from 150 calls to 183 calls in the past year.
Parish councils can give their comments until December 19.