PLANS to axe 12 pay phones in the Bordon area have been announced by BT. The proposals follow a dramatic decline in the use of pay-phones in the area, but have attracted critiscm from Whitehill town councillors. A spokesman for the company said: "BT is committed to providing a public pay-phone service. "However, over the years, as usage has declined, BT has been constantly reviewing and, where necessary, rationalising its public pay-phone estate in order to meet demand. This is nothing new and we will continue to do so." The phone boxes are in: Firgrove Road, Whitehill; Oakhanger, Bordon; Hollybrook Park, Bordon; Main Road, Bordon; Station Road, Bordon; the green in Black-moor; Warren Close, Hogmoor; Woodfield, Kingsley; Liphook Road, Hollywater; Petersfield Road, Greatham, and Arford and Larch Roads, Headley. They could be removed within 42 days following a public consultation. The BT spokesman added: "Almost 60 per cent of our pay-phones are un-profitable, with almost 6,000 phones making less than one call a month. "Pay phone usage has halved in the past two years and calls are still declining at 20 per cent, year on year. "Any removal of unprofitable pay phones is carried out in strict adherence to the Ofcom guidelines and, where appropriate, with the consent of the local communities. "We have also informed them that we will be removing other kiosks where we do not need to consult, as this is simply a question of thinning the estate where there are kiosks close together. In all instances when there is not another pay phone within 400 metres, we need the local authority's consent to remove the kiosk, and if there is a clear social need for those phones then they won't be removed." But the plans have prompted concerns among councillors. County councillor Adam Carew said: "BT's proposals to remove a number of key telephone boxes from around our town are totally unacceptable. Not everyone has a mobile phone, or even a landline, and phone boxes are still important for emergencies. "Public phone boxes are not used as heavily, since the widespread adoption of mobile phones, but even if you have a mobile, the coverage can be really poor depending on the networks. "The older red telephone boxes - such as at Holly- water - have been there for decades and have become a familiar part of the landscape. I am told the older models can even be listed so I hope we can get this looked into." Whitehill town councillor for Whitehill and Walldown Tony Gray said: "This blow comes at a time when we are about to expand and become a new green town - we are all working to get more and better facilities, then this happens." BT has launched a help-line to inform residents of their nearest phone box on 0800 9170273. The consultation deadline is July 16. Send an e-mail to [email protected]">[email protected] or Sarah Wheeler at [email protected]">[email protected], who is collating views at the district council.
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