Decision details

The purpose of this decision is to agree or object to the removal of a telephone kiosk on Cambridge Road, Fulbourn currently being consulted upon by BT.  The Council may also agree to the relevant parish council, or relevant local group, adopting kiosks being consulted upon, which will result in the kiosk remaining and the telephony equipment being removed.  BT, and other providers, must consult the local authority before removing any telephone kiosks or telephony equipment from kiosks.

The BT consultation is time-limited.  A draft decision by the Sustainable Communities Manager was published and sent to the Secretary of State on 1 December 2016 following an initial 42-day consultation.  This is the final decision, which follows a further consultation with parish councils, parish meetings and relevant Ward Councillors.

The criteria above, plus local knowledge, has informed the decisions:

The usage figures are high for a rural area.

29% of people living in social or private rented accommodation (2011 census data)

Ward Councillors report that several accidents have occurred in close proximity.

Alternative payphone on School Lane is being removed as part of a previous consultation.

In making its decision, the Council must consider the following:

Who lives there?

The type of local housing around a phone box may say how important it is to the area. If it’s surrounded by people who own their homes, there’s a fair chance they have home phones or mobiles as well. However, if the neighbourhood has mainly rented properties, social housing or residential-care homes, it could be that there are people on low incomes who need that phone box.

Emergency calls

Many people feel reassured that phone boxes are available if there’s an emergency. This can range from 999 calls to being able to call for help if your car breaks down. The local organisation needs to think about whether a particular phone box is more likely to be used for emergency calls than another. If, for example, the call box is near a known accident blackspot, it may strengthen the argument for it to be kept.

What are the takings?

Whether it’s a shop, a pub or a phone box, the amount of money people spend on a local service is a sign of whether it’s important to them. BT may be able to show how much business a particular phone box is getting. If it’s a very low figure, this may support their case to remove it.

The Council’s options are to:

(i)       Agree to the removal of each kiosk being consulted upon, or

(ii)      Object to the removal of each kiosk being consulted upon, or

(iii)     Agree to the parish council or parish meeting adopting the kiosk, which will result in the kiosk remaining and the telephony equipment being removed.