Stratford District Council Press Release – 4th August 2020

BT Payphone Removal Consultation

British Telecom has started a consultation on their proposals to remove a number of the public payphone callboxes from within Stratford-on-Avon District.

12 BT Payphones have been proposed for removal which affects nine parishes.

Stratford-on-Avon District Council, as the relevant local authority, is currently consulting with residents and Parish Councils giving them three options:

• To agree to the removal • To adopt the callbox for use by the local community • To object to the removal

The individual call boxes can all be identified by a Public Notice posted on them by BT, informing residents of their proposal and directing any comments to Stratford-on-Avon District Council.

The consultation is now open until Monday 14 September 2020.

Responses can be made in relation to your local callbox or to the overall proposal. Please go to https://www.stratford.gov.uk/btconsultation for further information and to complete the short online survey; or alternatively email Policy.Consultation@stratford- dc.gov.uk with your response.

The District Council will confirm its response to the consultation in October.

Parishes affected by this consultation are: (numbers in brackets show that there is more than one phone box listed for that Parish) • • Bishops Itchington • • Henley-in-Arden (2) • • Napton-on-the-Hill (2) • Pillerton Priors • (2) • Stratford-upon-Avon

BT indicates that overall use of payphones has declined by over 90% in the last decade and the need to provide payphones for use in emergency situations is diminishing all the time, with at least 98% of the UK having mobile coverage. BT also note that as long as there is a network coverage, it’s now possible to call the emergency services, even when there is no credit or no coverage from your own mobile provider.

Ends

Press Office

Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Elizabeth House, Church Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, , CV37 6HX Switchboard +44 (0)1789 267575, Direct +44 (0)1789 260105, mobile 07969 168538 email [email protected] web www.stratford.gov.uk Twitter @StratfordDC