Council fights to save phone boxes

By Julie Morgan

Last updated 16:08, Wednesday, 03 September 2008

COUNCILLORS have voted to try to save 24 Copeland payphones currently under threat. BT had proposed to remove the phone boxes, some in remote areas, as a cost-cutting measure.

However, members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Economic Development and Enterprise) said the phone boxes were essential for communities in isolated areas and for areas without an adequate mobile phone network coverage.

Some of the phone boxes under threat, such as those of Overend Road and Cliff Road in Whitehaven, also showed usage of around 1,000 calls a year.

A payphone at Lamplugh, which was in working order but hadn’t been used in a year, was not supported by councillors.

BT stated that out of the 61,792 payphones in Great Britain, 60 percent no longer covered their costs.

Councillors agreed their written objections be sent to BT by the deadline of Saturday September 6.

Councillors also heard about BT’s Adopt a Kiosk scheme.