British Telecom would like to remove three on-street payphones in various locations in the city as they are not being used enough.
BT is seeking to find out what local people think about the plans and the council is co-ordinating residents’ responses to the consultation.
We hope that as many people as possible will take part and tell us whether you agree or disagree with the proposed phone boxes being removed and the reasons why.
It doesn’t take long to give your opinion and your views will help us provide a picture to BT of what people in the city think about their proposals.
Phone box locations affected
- 01273 420676 located outside 374 Portland Road, Hove BN3 5SD (less than one call per month)
- 01273 508075 at the junction of London Road outside 2 Surrenden Crescent, Brighton BN1 6WF (less than one call per month)
- 01273 540390 outside the Preston Resort Hotel, 216 Preston Road, Brighton, BN1 6UU (Average one call per month)
All of the boxes concerned are modern kiosks and not the iconic red telephone boxes that can still be found in a few locations, mainly in the city centre.
How to give your views
Please email your comments by Thursday 7 September to planning.comments@brighton-hove.gov.uk using the subject line ‘Phone box removal – 07/2023.’ Please also identify the telephone number of the phone box you are commenting about.
Alternatively, you can write to Head of Planning, City Development and Regeneration, Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, Hove, BN3 3BQ.
The proposals will also be shared with the ward councillors for each location.
Use of payphones information provided by BT
Overall the use of payphones has declined by over 90 per cent in the last decade and the need to provide payphones for use in emergency situations is diminishing all the time, with at least 98 per cent of the UK having mobile coverage.
Ofcom’s research into consumer views on the importance of communications services and their affordability found that most people no longer view payphones as essential for consumers in most circumstances.
As long as there is mobile network coverage, it’s possible to call the emergency services, even when there is no coverage from your own mobile network provider.