WINCHESTER City Council
has come under fire for failing
to make full use of its
power to save rural phone
boxes.
BT is proposing to remove
43 public payphones across
the district, many of them the
traditional red ones, because
they are not making enough
money.
Most kiosks are in remote
areas and villagers say they
can be vital in an emergency.
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Now it has emerged that
the council has the power to
veto the proposed closures,
but officers need to consult
residents first, and the deadline
for comments is tomorrow
(Friday).
Charles Bazlinton, clerk to
parish councils in Wonston,
Micheldever and Tichborne,
has mounted a last-ditch bid
to save rural phone boxes.
He said: "We have really
had the wrong information as
parish councils in terms of
the dates we have to respond
by and the councilfs power of
veto.
"These village phone boxes
should be kept as not everyone
has a mobile phone or
even a landline and they can
be vital in an emergency."
BT is proposing to axe
phone boxes in Durley, Stoke
Charity, Sutton Scotney,
South Wonston, Compton,
Twyford, Kilmeston, Cheriton,
Hursley, Sparsholt, Owslebury,
Itchen Abbas, Martyr
Worthy and Kings Worthy.
Five in Alresford, two in
Bishop's Waltham and eight in
Winchester, are also for the
chop.
Under phone watchdog
Ofcom rules, BT has to consult
local authorities before
closing boxes if there is not
another within 400 metres.
If the city council objects
within 90 days, BT is barred
from removing them.
But before the council can
use its veto, officials must
first consult with local communities,
including parish
councils. Comments must be
in by tomorrow.
This is to give council officials
time to collate the
responses, decide whether to
object to proposed closures,
and consult the public again
before responding to BT by
September 6.
But Winchester City Council's
website made no mention
of its power of veto or its own
consultation.
Instead it says the local
planning authority is acting
as the co-ordinator of the
BT 90-day consultation, and
asks for comments by August
22.
Mr Bazlinton has criticised
the council for gacting as a postbox instead of using its
veto to save rural phone
boxes.
Fiona Tebbutt, head of planning
for the city council, said
city councillors and parish
councils were informed in the
June edition of newsletter
Parish Connect.
Mrs Tebbutt said the council
could continue to receive
comments after July 18 while
consulting on those already
received.
She said there was time
between August 23 and September
4 for the council to
assess further comments
rather than simply pass them
on.
She said: "Guidance is
given by BT on the factors
which might be assessed
when considering a proposal
for the removal of a call box,
and, if the council feel it
appropriate to do so, could
object to a proposal.
"In doing so, consideration
would be taken of individual
representations that have
been made, and a summary of
all representations received
will be passed to BT.
"However, the fact that public
representations are
received, does not necessarily
mean that the council will
object to a proposal."
However, council leader
Cllr George Beckett said: "We
will listen to all concerns
from residents and parish
councillors about the potential
removal of their local
phone boxes.
"We will be working to the
deadlines set by BT and will
be pushing to keep any phone
boxes which are deemed vital
to the community."
*Anyone with comments
about the planned phone
boxes removal should e-mail
cmurphie@winchester.gov.uk,
fill in the survey on winchester.gov.uk/bt, or write to Planning,
Winchester City
Council, City Offices, Colebrook
Street, Winchester
SO23 9LJ.
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