Council can veto kiosk cull

10:26am Thursday 17th July 2008

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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.

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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