Poorly used phone boxes across Brighton and Hove could be removed

BT is urging to have their say about the proposed plans, with Brighton and Hove City Council coordinating consultation responses.

With overall payphone usage dramatically shrinking by more than 90 per cent in the last decade, five modern kiosk phone boxes in the city cpi;d be removed. However, none of those potentially affected are iconic red telephone boxes, which are mostly situated in the city centre.

Responding only takes a short time but will provide valuable data on what people in the city think about the planned removals.

Phone box locations:

• 01273 508854 Junction of The Droveway, opposite 51 Goldstone Crescent, Hove BN3 6LR (0 average calls per month)

• 01273 771971 Outside 1 Richardson Road, Hove BN3 5RB (7 average calls per month)

• 01273 505352 Outside Asda superstore, 1 Crowhurst Road, Brighton BN1 8AS (4 average calls per month)

• 01273 508820 Junction of Wilmington Parade opposite 167 Carden Avenue, Brighton BN1 8LA (1 average call per month)

• 01273 607102 Junction of Bodiam Way outside 162 Heath Hill Avenue, Brighton BN2 4LS (1 average call per month)

Comments should be sent to [email protected], with the number of the phone box you are concerned with also included.

The closing date for comments is Wednesday September 16.

Views will also be shared amongst ward councillors in each location.

Residents can also contact the Head of Planning, City Development and Regeneration at Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, Hove, BN3 3BQ.

As 98 per cent of the UK now has sufficient mobile coverage, emergency payphone use has declined significantly. Ofcom’s affordability report reflects these numbers, as research showed on average that people are less likely to view payphones as a useful platform of communication.

Even without coverage from your own network provider, users can still contact emergency services as long as there is general mobile network coverage.