PLANS to remove three public phone boxes in Helensburgh and Lomond have been opposed by councillors.
Two phone boxes in Helensburgh, and one on the A82 near Loch Lomond, are on a list of 67 across Argyll and Bute which communications giant BT wants to remove due to low usage.
Members of Argyll and Bute Council’s planning, protective services and licensing committee considered the local authority’s response to BT’s proposals at a meeting last Wednesday.
A report for the meeting recommended that the committee should object to the removal of 55 of the phone boxes on the list – even though many, including the two in Helensburgh, are hardly, if ever, used.
READ MORE: Council wants to hear your thoughts on importance of Gaelic in local communities
In fact the two Helensburgh boxes – on Collins Road in Colgrain, and in Churchill Square – see an average of zero calls per month, according to the report, while the box on the A82, next to the southbound bus stop south of the Arden roundabout, has an average of five.
The report recommended that the council should lodge an official objection because, in many cases, it has asked for, but not been told, the views of the relevant community councils.
Council executive director Kirsty Flanagan said in her report: “Given that a number of community councils could not be contacted within the period of the consultation, it is suggested that in order to allow comments to be received from these communities, the council objects to any that have not received a response.
“This approach will mean that BT will include those phone boxes that have received objections in the next round of consultation processes.”
READ MORE: Councillor column: Big decisions at local and national level
Ms Flanagan’s report also said that the overall use of payphones across the UK has fallen by 90 per cent in the last decade, and that more than 98 per cent of the UK now has either 3G or 4G network coverage.
She continued: “This is important because as long as there is 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.
“BT have also asked the council to consider the recent Ofcom affordability report which found that most consumers do not view payphones as essential for most consumers in most circumstances.
“There have been a number of communities across the area that have already been through the adoption process and have used these to hold defibrillators, small libraries, cake shops or general public information hubs.”
BT’s consultation on its plans was due to close at the end of 2020, but due to the pandemic it has been extended until Sunday, January 31.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here