Decision details

Date of Decision:

22 October 2020

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Simon Moss

Assistant Director of Planning, Regeneration and Transport

Specific Delegation:

(If any)

Nonspecific

Brief Description of Decision:

BT has proposed removal of 42 public phone boxes around the borough which they consider are no longer viable to keep. Subsequently three pay phones were withdrawn by BT, leaving 39 for the Council to consider. Ofcom guidance requires a final decision on pay phone removal to be made by the Council and set out in the Final Notification, and the Secretary of State to be notified. Following assessment, and having regard to the consultation comments received, it is proposed to agree to the removal of 16 phone boxes but to retain 23 phone boxes under the local veto.

To enable this, the proposed schedule that shows the decision on each public phone box, where the local veto is recommended to be applied to 23 of the 39 public phone boxes that BT has proposed for closure (as detailed at Appendix 4 of the officer’s report) is approved and that after the Final Notification is published, BT will be notified, and the Secretary of State informed of the decision that has been made.

Reasons for the Decision:

To enable the processes required for the removal of the phone boxes not subject to the local veto to be removed.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

Not to apply the local veto on 23 phone boxes and for all of the phone boxes proposed by BT for removal to be removed.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Executive Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

No Conflicts of Interest

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

Not Applicable

Reports or parts of reports considered

The report of the Assistant Director – Planning, Regeneration and Transport - Proposal by BT to permanently remove 42 public phone boxes throughout the borough and appendices