SLC to hang up on proposals

South Lanarkshire Council will oppose the removal of six BT phone boxes in East Kilbride and Avondale .

We told you last August how almost 40 phone boxes across South Lanarkshire were to be cut off by network operator BT.

More than 20 were saved from the axe after a public backlash – but now BT say the lines could still go dead if public support is not reiterated.

Initial proposals included phones in Larkhall Road, Glassford; Westwood Square, Westwood Hill, Calderwood Square and St Leonards Square in East Kilbride.

They were set to be saved with one on Calderwood Road – which had no calls in 12 months – earmarked for the axe.

But new proposals by BT would see the removal of a further 26 phone boxes in South Lanarkshire including 22 which were kept following a consultation last year.

Clydesdale would be worst affected by the proposals, with 16 phone boxes facing closure – all of which were saved last year.

Symington and Abington could lose their traditional red phone boxes but South Lanarkshire Council are set to object to their removal from the network.

A number of payphones that BT propose to remove are in areas with a higher than average percentage of the population aged over 75, areas with reduced mobile coverage, social deprivation or in towns with only one payphone.

BT say the use of public payphones has reduced by 90 per cent over the last decade and the need for public phones for emergency calls is also reducing substantially.

The council’s planning committee agreed to object to most of the proposals from BT last month and a first notification of these objections has been published ahead of a final notification which must be submitted by November 2.