A public consultation is underway on a proposal not to replace a badly-damaged phone box in Coatbridge.
The payphone at Burnbank Street was removed by BT on safety grounds after being “damaged beyond repair following a road accident”.
It led to an assessment of of the continued need for a payphone at the site, with the operators noting that it had “received very low or no use during the past 12 months” and proposing not to replace it due to the high costs involved and the close proximity of another payphone at nearby Muiryhall Street East.
Now a consultation process is underway, with local residents having until June 5 to share their views with North Lanarkshire Council, for these to be fed back to BT before a final decision is made.
A spokesperson for the local authority said: “BT indicate that their obligation to provide a universal service will be maintained, as there are other kiosks within the vicinity.”
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Figures show that use of payphones has declined by more than 90 per cent in the past decade, with the need to provide them declining with increasing mobile phone signal coverage and the ability call emergency services even without credit or coverage from your own mobile provider.
Comments on the removal of the Burnbank Street phone box can be emailed to esplanning@northlan.gov.uk or posted to North Lanarkshire Council Planning Service, Fleming House, 2 Tryst Road, Cumbernauld G67 1JW.
