Time running out over public payphones in Caithness
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TIME is running out for local people to have their final say in the removal of five public payphones in Caithness.
Caithness civic leader Willie Mackay, who represents Wick and East Caithness, is urging anyone who hasn't yet made their feelings known about the proposed closures to have their say before the deadline of Thursday, October 24.
So far only the phone box at Dunnet post office has attracted an objection about its proposed closure. However, it is the least used of the earmarked payphones with just eight calls being placed there in the last year.
The objection was made due to poor mobile signal in the area.
The other payphones up for closure in the county are located in Main Street, Lybster, Crescent Street, Halkirk, Main Street, Castletown, and Provost Sinclair Road, Thurso.
The most used phone box was the one in Lybster which recorded 44 calls in a 12-month period, with Castletown being used 17 times, Thurso 11 and Halkirk 10.
BT is behind the closures, but it has asked Highland Council for help during the consultation period.
Reminding the public that they are keen to get an accurate picture of phone box usage, Councillor Mackay said: "I would urge them to reply as soon as possible. We are keen to get the public opinion."
Pointing out that BT payphone usage had declined by 90 per cent since mobile phones took over, Councillor Mackay said: "There are still places in the county where people, in particularly the elderly, rely on the phone box."
Noting that the amount of calls at the Lybster phone box in the last year was over double that of the other payphones up for closure, he said: "Let's hope people will respond and they can keep their phone boxes, particularly the one in Lybster."
In north-west Sutherland, the Armadale phone box, which has not been used in the last year, has attracted one objection on the grounds of "patchy mobile coverage" and the one at Coldbackie, which has been used 11 times in the same period, has received no objections.
Highland Council is seeking final feedback from the public on BT’s proposal to remove a total of 110 public payphones from across the region.
This second phase of consultation will run until midnight on Thursday, October 24, with responses to be sent by email to policy6@highland.gov.uk
Regulation set out by Ofcom, the independent regulator, states that local authorities have the responsibility to coordinate consultations to gather views about proposed payphone removals.
Following 136 responses to the first phase of the consultation, this feedback has been published online at https://www.highland.gov.uk/consultations
The council is encouraging members of the public to look at BT’s proposals and comment, giving as much information as possible about the public call boxes earmarked for removal.
Following the end of the consultation, a final notice of decision will be published which will outline the council’s position on the proposed removals.
For further information and to respond to the consultation, please contact the Highland Council policy unit at policy6@highland.gov.uk or phone 01463 702 006.
