Decision details

Details of decision:  British Telecommunications plc (BT) has recently contacted the Council concerning proposals to remove a public call box in Blue Anchor, Minehead, within the Somerset West and Taunton area.

With the spread of mobile telephone communications the need for public telephone boxes has significantly declined over the past few years and is likely to continue leading to the current proposals.  The telephone boxes the subject of this proposal have been monitored for 12 months by BT and very low usage (in many cases no use at all) has been recorded.

Consultations with the appropriate Ward Councillors and Parish Councils have taken place within the last couple of months and the responses received confirming no objection to the removal, raising objection to the removal, or seeking to adopt the telephone box once the telephone equipment has been removed, have been added into the attached Schedule.

This Schedule formed a ‘draft’ decision which had to be notified to both BT and the Secretary of State which was done on the 4^th January 2021.

A further round of consultation has been undertaken before the end of January 2021 before this ‘final’ decision in respect of the telephone boxes identified is being issued by the Council as the ‘Relevant Public Body’.

At this final stage, Executive Councillor Chris Booth has agreed that the final decision to object should be published and sent to BT and the Secretary of State.

Reasons for proposed decision:  BT has been assessing usage of public telephone boxes in the Somerset West and Taunton Area and has found that this box has not been used at all during the last year or on such an infrequent basis that it is simply not worthwhile keeping the boxes listed operational.