IT could be the final call for a number of phone boxes in the district after a consultation into the possible removal of 28 concluded last week.
The results of the consultation will not be known for a few weeks, but BT has proposed their removal, arguing that overall use of payphones has declined by more than 90 per cent and some of the phone boxes earmarked for removal haven’t been used at all within the last year.
Phone boxes are not being removed where there is no network coverage, in accident black spots, and a number of other locations which meet certain criteria.
While a number of the phone boxes put forward for removal, have had little to no use over the past year, some have been used much more with the box located on the corner of Justins Avenue for example, seeing 255 calls made.
The results of the consultation will be made known prior to a meeting of the Cabinet at Stratford District Council on 9th December, when a decision on their futures will be made.
Following previous proposals by BT to remove phone boxes in the district, some have been adopted by local communities and put to use as defibrillator stations and even coffee shops.
