MEMBERS of Dartmoor Forest Parish Council have said they felt ‘betrayed’ by the news that BT was planning to remove two phone boxes from Princetown without any consultation with the public, by ‘exploiting a loophole’ in regulations.
The council felt BT had ‘broken its promise’ only months after pledging to consult with local communities before removing phone boxes after learning on Friday that the company was allegedly ‘secretly’ planning on removing the pay phones on Woodville Avenue and Tavistock Road.
The council said BT was exploiting a loophole in the regulations that allowed them to remove the pay phones without notifying or consulting anyone because they were on private land. Although both the phone boxes are on the public highway, the land is actually owned by the Duchy of Cornwall.
The council said that BT had advised that it did not need to go through the proper consultation process and that although the Duchy of Cornwall had advised the council that it had no objection to the phone boxes staying, it seemed that this was not sufficient to stop BT with the this plan. It was believed that BT would be removing the phone boxes in the next few weeks.
The council now feels let down that despite BT assuring local communities that it would consult with the local authority and community before it removed any pay phones, it seemed the company had decided not to honour that commitment.
Cllr Gregg Manning, chair of Dartmoor Forest Parish Council, said: ‘We understand public phone boxes are not used much these days, however as a remote moorland village we believe it is right and proper that BT follows the proper consultation process and asks the local community before they are simply removed.
‘Due to the problems with the transmitter, we were without mobile phone signal for much of the week recently, therefore we think it is vital that we — and other organisations such as Dartmoor Search and Rescue and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue — are given the opportunity to state whether the phone boxes are needed.’
He added that although the phones were not used frequently, in an area popular with climbers, walkers, cyclists and horse riders, they could be a lifeline in an emergency.
Cllr Suzanne Davies, vice chair of the council, said: ‘It was only in October last year that BT planned to close over 40 phone boxes across Dartmoor and due to public safety concerns, the phone boxes in Postbridge and Bellever were retained. BT reassured us that they would consult with the local community and authority before removing any pay phones. It seems rather dishonest to then proceed with planning to remove the pay phones in Princetown without telling anyone.’
Dartmoor Forest Parish Council is hoping that BT will change its decision and allow the proper consultation to go ahead. The council is in contact with West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox to express its concerns at BT’s behaviour.
In a statement to the Times, a spokesperson for BT said: ‘We believe these boxes are no longer needed as working payphones. They are rarely used and there is mobile phone coverage in Princetown. However, we’d welcome local residents adopting the kiosks if they wished to do so. BT’s Adopt a Kiosk scheme has resulted in thousands of boxes across the UK being adopted by local communities and organisations for a variety of uses ranging from life-saving defibrillator equipment to mini libraries and even mini art galleries.
‘These particular boxes are on private land and aren’t subject to Ofcom’s consultation guidelines.’
This article originally appeared on Tavistock Today
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