BT has recently announced that it intends to remove a significant number of phone boxes from our streets. I understand their argument for wanting to do this but, as far as the red phone boxes are concerned, for me these pieces of street furniture have become iconic the world over. I for one will be very saddened to see them go. They have enriched both our urban and rural landscape. There arn’t many pieces of street furniture you can say that about.

It should be possible to have the phone box kept as a Registered Historic Asset, where it plays a significant part in the street scene or exists within a Conservation Area. The universal use of mobile phones makes it difficult to justify the cost of maintenance - will pillar boxes, also a very decent piece of street furniture, be the next to disappear?
See article on ‘Who uses phone boxes’: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7228184.stm
See also discussion about ‘Closure of Post Offices?’: http://www.civicsocieties.org.uk/forums/viewthread/63/

Some years ago Horsforth Civic Society achieved Grade 2 listed building status for a red phone box on the Green in the heart of our Conservation Area.

Yes, they are now generally regarded as “heritage”; those in my own Conservation Area are Listed. However, it would be easier for BT to reject arguments for their retention, particularly if they are not Listed, unless there are also ideas for (a) maintaining them and (b) alternative uses, which would also show that the communities who want to keep them are thinking positively round the issue. The Civic Trust would be happy to pursue it, but it would be helpful if members could let us have their suggestions for, or experience of, keeping redundant ones maintained and/or putting them to alternative uses - also, if possible, to give us some idea of what percentage are Listed.

Further to my reference to the red phone box in Horsforth. Since it was listed it has been maintained well and painted at intervals. We have not had to remind BT.The box is still in use,we have no idea what will happen regarding maintainance if it is taken out of service.

Your local authority can take over red telephone kiosks for £1.
The telephone connection is removed - this seems a shame - keeping an emergency service connection could be helpful to a community.

see: http://networks.silicon.com/telecoms/0,39024659,39281688,00.htm

Here is a link to the BT scheme: http://www.payphones.bt.com/adopt_a_kiosk/HTML/payphone/faq.htm
- it says they will also maintain the phone service for £500/year

How would I go about learning more about a red telephone box? Would anyone be interested in talking in detail? How do we get it kept as a Registered Historic Asset?