Plea to keep BT’s public payphones

DALES: Plans by BT to remove scores of public payphones are to be opposed by Richmondshire District Council and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

The council said there remained “a clear and overriding social need” for many of them, in both remote and densely populated areas.

PLANS BY BT to remove scores of public payphones are to be opposed by Richmondshire District Council and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

After the telecoms giant announced its intention to remove 42 phone boxes across one of the country’s most rural districts, the council said there remained “a clear and overriding social need” for many of them, in both remote and densely populated areas.

It is the fifth time since 2008 that BT has sought to remove numerous payphones in Richmondshire, an area where despite repeated attempts by authorities to improve mobile coverage, there are many places with poor or no phone signals.

BT says the overall use of payphones has declined by more than 90 per cent in the last decade and the need to provide payphones for use in emergency situations was diminishing all the time, with at least 98 per cent of the UK having either 3G or 4G coverage.

The firm argues that as there is network coverage, it is now possible to call the emergency services, even when there is no credit or no coverage from your own mobile provider.

However, members of the district council are set to consider an official’s recommendation to strongly oppose the removal of payphones in Langthwaite, Newbiggin, Bishopdale, Worton, West Burton, Carlton, two in Colburn, Grinton, Hudswell, Marrick, Gunnerside, Preston- under- Scar, Thwaite, Reeth, Healaugh and Scorton.

Councillors will also be asked to consider issuing a holding objection over the majority of the other payphones as defibrillators require the ability to call 999 to obtain the access code and the absence of a mobile signal would render the defibrillator inoperable. An official’s report to a full meeting of the authority this week states that many parish councils had said the call boxes remained a vital link for residents and visitors due to unreliable mobile signals in the area and that they could be the only option in an emergency.

In addition, the report stated that frequent severe weather conditions in the Yorkshire Dales often disabled mobile networks and even landlines could be unreliable.

Preston- under- Scar residents said they reported a fault to BT last October but the repairs had still not been carried out.

In some of the district’s most populated areas, such as Colburn, the council said it had identified a social need, with the Broadway phone being used 77 times over a 12- month period.

The report stated that the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority had confirmed it wished to see all payphones within the national park retained unless it could be clearly demonstrated there would be no detrimental effect on local communities and visitors.

There is still a clear and overriding social need for many of them. Statement by Richmondshire District Council.