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.

Three BT Payphones have been proposed for removal which affects three 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 Thursday 27 May 2021.

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.

Stratford-on-Avon District Council will confirm its response to the consultation in June.

Parishes affected by this consultation are: Stratford-upon-Avon, Studley and Whitchurch

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.