Shropshire: Consultation to decide fate of 61 payphones
The fate of 61 payphones across Shropshire is being decided.BT is consulting until 12 June over the removal of public call boxes (PCBs) in the county.However, a stay of execution is possible. Traditional red kiosks may be adopted by charities and councils for various community uses, and while adoption is also possible for modern-style kiosks, they may only be used to house defibrillators.Thirteen of the 61 kiosks are listed, meaning they would not be removed even if there is no interest in adoption, although they would be locked and have their telephony removed.
The leader of Shropshire Council Lezley Picton said that further to the adoption "there is opportunity to share feedback with the council should there be a local view that a payphone in their area should remain operational"."This could include for example feedback about local flooding issues of which BT may be unaware, or ongoing concerns about its usefulness for helpline calls or calls from people needing to access emergency services or other essential services, who may not have a mobile phone."The consultation period has been extended in the light of the forthcoming local elections.
Shropshire Council no longer has the power of veto over removals, after Ofcom made changes in June 2022.Now there is a set of criteria to assess reasonable user needs prior to the removal of a "last at a site" PCB. The criteria is set out to protect payphones where:They do not have coverage from all four mobile network providersThey are located in an area with a high frequency of accidents or suicidesThey have made 52 or more calls over the past 12 monthThere is other evidence of a reasonable need for the PCBCouncillors will issue a draft provisional review of the payphones after the elections on 1 May.
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