RESIDENTS, community groups and organisations across Droitwich are being invited to take ownership of three of the town’s telephone boxes which BT has are deemed are no longer needed.
The telephone operator has taken the decision after the one in Hanbury Street, opposite David Neville and the Barley Mow, was only used 15 times in the last year, the one on Old Coach Road only handled 35 calls and the one on Worcester Road, opposite Oaklands, was used just 132 times.
Phone boxes elsewhere have been used for other purposes, including housing defibrillators. One in Belbroughton near Bromsgrove is a ‘mini library’ where residents borrow and share books.
BT says the use of payphones has decreased by 90 per cent in the last decade because of mobile phones and the need for them to be used in emergency situations had also diminished.
There is currently a 90-day public consultation about the removal of the kiosks which ends on January 13, 2017.
To take up one of the phone boxes, the group would pay a nominal £1 and would then be responsible for it, its contents and its electricity supply.
The future of the phone boxes will be discussed at the next meeting of Droitwich Town Council’s Resources Committee on December 12.
The final decision on whether a phone box is adopted rests with BT.
Pam Craney, the clerk of Droitwich Town Council, told The Standard: “We would be interested in hearing from any residents or groups who would like to take them on.
“If people do take them on though, it will be their responsibility to maintain them.”
Any groups or organisations wanting to register their interest should e-mail Pam at [email protected] or call her on 01905 774258.
