Scarborough phone box could be adopted and saved for £1
The phone box has been “identified as the last public call box at a site
Scarborough residents could adopt a phone box and give it a new lease of life – for £1.
A BT phone box set to be removed in the town could be saved if locals decide to adopt it.
A payphone at Northway, near the Scarborough Telephone Exchange, is set to be removed by BT and the company has opened a consultation on its future.
The phone box has been “identified as the last public call box at a site, and North Yorkshire Council and the community now have the opportunity to support or object to the removal”, according to Scarborough Town Council.
However, the consultation process also gives local communities the opportunity to adopt a phone box for another use before the payphone is removed. This applies to both the traditional red phone box as well as the modern phone boxes.
For just £1, more than 5,000 communities have turned our iconic red phone boxes into something that brings more value and enjoyment to local people – from libraries, to food banks, and defibrillators, according to BT.
Parish, community, or town councils and registered charities can adopt phone boxes.
According to BT’s website, the company cannot remove a last public call box if there have been 52 or more calls made from it in the past year or if there is other evidence of reasonable user need for the public call box.
As British Telecom has already placed its 90 day notice, North Yorkshire Council is advising the community to send comments on the potential removal of the payphone and/or an intention to adopt the payphone for another use no later than Tuesday, March 10.
Responses can be sent by email to [email protected].
They can also be sent by post to the Planning Policy and Place Team, North Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Northallerton DL7 8AD.
The phone box is located at Northway, Scarborough, YO12 7AG.
BT said requests to adopt kiosks must be sent to it no later than Monday, April 27.