TOWN Council chiefs have made a final plea to Evesham residents to come forward if they want to buy one of four telephone boxes earmarked for removal by BT.
As the Observer previously reported, the telephone operator has taken the decision to discard its phone boxes on Cheltenham Road, Four Pools Road, Burlingham Avenue and Waterside.
There is currently a 90-day public consultation on the removal of the boxes, which ends on Friday, January 13.
As part of the consultation, residents, community groups and organisations have the chance to snap up one of the kiosks for just £1.
However, the new owners would then be responsible for the telephone boxes’ upkeep, contents and electricity supply.
The future of the phone boxes were debated at an Evesham Town Council planning committee meeting on Monday (November 28).
Councillors voted in favour of calling on BT to keep the telephone box on Four Pools Road and remove the other three, should no-one come forward to purchase them.
Coun Patrick Boyd said: “The only thing is the one on Four Pools Road seems to be used quite a lot. I’m amazed it’s used that much. There appears to be a demand for this one.
“I’m happy to propose Birlingham Avenue, Waterside, Cheltenham Road be closed and Four Pools Road remains open.”
Committee chairman, Coun Richard Jones, backed the proposals and called for residents to come forward if they want to take on one with the telephone boxes.
“I would say, subject to an enormous out cry from the public, it would be nice for the local papers to put one more plea in for comments to come to us [Town Council] regarding these phone boxes,” he said.
“If not then the council’s position is the same as BT’s that they will go. Perhaps we could ask BT to reconsider Four Pools to see if the demand is still there in a year’s time.”
However, Coun Alan Booth raised concerns about BT passing on the maintenance bill to the Town Council if the Four Pools Road kiosk is kept open.
“BT is going to close these boxes,” he said.
“If we ask them to keep Four Pools Road do they keep it under their maintenance, or does the maintenance and the up keep of it come back to us.”
In response, Coun Jones said: “We would ask for it to remain under BT’s maintenance and if they come back and say no then we will have to think again.”
Any groups or organisations wanting to register their interest should e-mail the Town Clerk at [email protected] or call 01386 443322.
