BT look set to remove a total of 16 public telephone boxes from locations across the Isle of Wight.
The universal service provider has notified the Isle of Wight Council of their plan to rip out the rather old fashioned method of communication from some towns and villages on the Island.
Council officials have approached town and parish councils to carry out a consultation to seek the views of the local community, which will inform a decision on whether to argue the proposed removals or to agree with the plan of action.
The telephone boxes to be removed include:
- Coronation Avenue, Cowes (junction with Newport Road)
- Adelaide Grove, East Cowes (junction of Upper Yarborough Road)
- Avenue Road, Sandown (opposite Sandown Garage)
- Sandown Road, Sandown
- Alverstone Road, Apse Heath (outside Hazlemere)
- Gunville Road, Newport (outside 151)
- Malthouse Green, Newbridge (outside 2)
- Chale Stores and Post Office, Chale Green
- Broadway Cresent, Binstead (outside 109)
- Nettlestone Green, Seaview (outside Apple Acre)
- Main Road, Brighstone (outside The Three Bishops)
- High Street, Godshill (near School Cresent)
- High Street, Wroxall (outside St Johns Church)
- Newport Road, Apse Heath (junction with Ventnor Road)
- Steyne Road, Bembridge (outside 33)
- Lane End Road, Bembridge
A total of just 292 calls have been made from the 16 telephone boxes in the past 12 months. The least used is High Street, Godshill with only 2 calls made, with the most calls being made from Adelaide Grove, East Cowes – a total of 42.
Get rid of these ugly, expensive eyesores. No doubt Parish councils will ‘take them on’ at great cost to the precept, especially those Parish councils who have had a windfall, and looking for ways to squander it. Justifying it ‘for the little old lady’, who likely is richer than most of the young but just too mean to have a phone.
Too many are used as public Toilets now the Country is too poor to keep our WC’s open, and the phones are only used by drug dealers knowing they are less easy to trace than a mobile. The cost as the local thick smash them is not worth keeping them for the odd use they ‘might’ receive.
The public telephone box was essential in its day, however, our society has technologically advanced to the point that they are
rendered obsolete.
They should be consigned to the history books now. No point clinging on to them.
in the era of internet telephony where it’s so easy to make calls using internet phone number who will use this old booth.
Someone who just had their phone stolen at 3AM perhaps?
They may be old fashioned but were kept on for emergency situations
I notice the one on the corner of Home Mead on Pan Estate is not going. Recently the glass was smashed and the phone / box seems to be vandalised every time I drive past it.
Likely it is bugged and has hidden video survaliance to suss out the growers and dealers, who prefer not to use traceable mobiles.