A county councillor in Neath Port Talbot has criticised plans by BT to remove 30 public payphones in the county, saying not everyone has the luxury of a mobile phone or landline.
BT wants to get rid of the telephone boxes, claiming their overall use has declined by over 90% in the last decade.
The company said that as long as there was network coverage it was now possible to call emergency services even if someone didn’t have any credit.
As a result, the need to provide payphones for use in emergency situations was “diminishing all the time”, it explained, adding “at least 98% of the UK has either 3G or 4G coverage”.
However, Neath Port Talbot Councillor John Warman has called the plans “deplorable” and is urging communities to pull together to stop them being removed.
He said: “It’s important they stay – not everybody has the luxury of owning a landline or a mobile phone, and they can act as a lifeline for emergencies.”
Accusing BT of deliberately neglecting the payphones by failing to clean and maintain them in order to run them down and remove them, the Cimla ward councillor said: “The number of calls recorded to them were down because of this reason.
“British Telecom are starting to deliver the death sentence to remove all phone boxes in this country.
“It’s putting profit before people.”
He added: “Offering them to the communities for £1 to turn them into flower kiosks is not the answer.”
BT which is running a consultation on the planned removal said communities could adopt a “traditional red ‘heritage’ phone box for just £1” through its ‘Adopt a Kiosk’, scheme, transforming them into “something inspirational” for their local area.
A BT spokesman said: “Most people now have a mobile phone and calls made from our public telephones have fallen by around 90% in the past decade.
“We consider a number of factors before consulting on the removal of payphones, including whether others are available nearby and usage.”
A formal BT consultation on the plans ends on October 28 although Neath Port Talbot Council is asking for responses to the proposals by August 29.
For more details search for the planning application number P2019/5263 on npt.gov.uk or on the kiosk adoption scheme visit bt.com/adopt.
This is the list of payphones which are set to disappear, along with the number of calls which have been made from each in the last 12 months
Gors Lane, Cwmgors, Ammanford – Six calls
Hillside, Neath – 12 calls
Church Road, Cadoxton – 52 calls
Cimla Road – 12 calls
Heol Llwynon, Llygad Yr Haul – two calls
Gnell Park Road, Leonard Street – 21 calls
Aberhenwaun Uchaf, Seven Sisters – two calls
Lewis Terrace, Abergarwed – eight calls
Bryn Golwg, Clyne – one call
Heol y Felin, Cwmgwrach – four calls
Penybont Terrace, Crynant – four calls
Neath Road, Briton Ferry – 292 calls
Bryn Road, Cwmllynfell – zero calls
Wern Road, Ystalyfera – 11 call
Gurnos Road, Ystalyfera – 12 calls
Penywern Road, Ystalyfera – 12 calls
Afan Road, Duffryn, Rhondda – one call
High Street, Abergwynfi – five calls
Abbey Works, Margam – zero calls
Ynys Street – 48 calls
Newton Avenue – 139 calls
Abbey Works, Margam – 43 calls
Owen Terrace, Cwmavon – zero calls
Maesteg Road, Bryn – one call
Afon Villas, Cwmavon – two calls
Heol Heddwch, Neath Abbey – four calls
Pen-yr-Alley Avenue, Skewen – 35 calls
New Road, Skewen – 240 calls
New Road, Ynysmeudwy – 27 calls
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