British Telecom has started a consultation on their proposals to remove a number of the public payphone callboxes from within Stratford-on-Avon District.
Three payphones within Stratford-on-Avon District have been proposed for removal. The removal will include the phone box and the equipment - if the phone box is listed, the telephony will be removed, and the kiosk will be locked.
The proposed kiosks are:
- Manor Road, Stratford-upon-Avon
- Preston-on-Stour
- Coventry Street, Southam
The consultation is now open until Friday 10th April 2026.
Responses can be made in relation to your local callbox or to the overall proposal, please go to BT Payphone Removal | Stratford-on-Avon District Council for further information and complete the short online survey form or alternatively email: consultation@stratford-dc.gov.uk.
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 either having 3G or 4G coverage.
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. Phone boxes are not being removed where there is no network coverage, in accident blackspots, and a number of other locations which meet criteria.
It is essential that our services are provided fairly and that they reach the people who need to use them. The monitoring information we collect is vital to helps us understand who is using our services and who is not, having this information helps us improve services and reduce barriers to access. The information we collect will always be kept confidential and secure.
Communities may be able to 'adopt' phone boxes to turn into something completely different.
With payphone usage falling, communities are looking at new ways of using them. Thousands of boxes have been reinvented as cafes, mini-libraries, and defibrillator sites. Communities can adopt most red boxes for just £1.
If you wish to comment on these proposals, please do so on the following link here: Pay Phone Consultation Spring 2026
Please respond by 10th April 2026.
