Villages to get the chance to adopt their phone box
VILLAGES throughout the Harrogate district are being offered the chance to adopt their village phone box.
Thirteen villages could lose payphones following planning applications to Harrogate Borough Council from telecommunication giants, BT.
Villages affected are Arkendale, Minskip, Farnham, Lower Dunsforth, Marton cum Grafton, Staveley, Nun Monkton, Moor Monkton, Whixley, Cattal, Follifoot, Goldsborough and Hunsingore.
In a complicated system, BT consults with the council, which then consults with the affected parishes/areas. The council then writes up a report to go back to BT before the consultation period ends in January 2010.
Harrogate Council confirmed the two key issues are BT closing down the phoneboxes and parishes being offered the chance to 'adopt the boxes' in BT's Adopt a Kiosk scheme.
Both Arkendale and Whixley Parish Councils have expressed interest in keeping the boxes.
Zillah Hope, clerk for Arkendale Parish Council, said: "We would be keen to keep the box though the council needs to discuss this further.
"We would oppose losing the telephone, but should Harrogate Borough Council decide to approve removing the phone, we would certainly look into applying to keep the box."
Similarly, Roger Bailey, chairman of Whixley Parish Council, said it too was interested in adopting the box.
"We would also really like to keep the phone equipment, especially as part of the village is without a mobile phone signal. The phone box has been used 122 times in the last year so that's an important consideration.
"If we kept the phone box for aesthetic reasons, maybe we could make it into a small greenhouse!"
In a statement BT said: "Adopt a Kiosk is a voluntary scheme which local authorities can choose to be involved with, or not. The scheme was actually developed following feedback from local authorities wanting to secure the future of those red kiosks no longer needed as working payphones, but which have an iconic place in the local community.
"Use of public payphone payphones is in decline – usage has halved in the last two years alone – but where there is a clear social need for a kiosk then it will be retained.
"Letters have been sent to local authorities across the UK inviting them to liaise with their local communities over the possibility of further adoptions of red kiosks, which are used either rarely or not at all. Letters clearly state the telephone will be removed should a kiosk be adopted.
"This scheme is voluntary. If a payphone is not adopted it will stay where it is. If another rationalisation programme is needed in the future, the full consultation process in line with Ofcom guidelines will be followed.
"Rural payphones, or in fact, any payphone where there is not another kiosk within 400m cannot be removed without a 90-day consultation taking place and the approval of the local authority.
"Over 400 red kiosks have already been adopted across the UK and the scheme is proving very popular with local communities. BT is currently running a competition to find the most innovative use of an adopted kiosk with a first prize of 5,000.”
Interesting uses include a kiosk being used as a mini art gallery or information point.
The closing date for comments on the proposals have to be submitted to the Council by mid December.
l See planning applications page 8.
maggie.gell@ypn.co.uk
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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