If you’ve been following the story of our phone box you might understand why we are all feeling a bit annoyed by the whole situation. After battling to save it last year, we were dismayed to discover that it was slated for removal again this year. Perhaps we are going to have to add ‘Save the Phone Box’ to the village’s annual calendar of events, along with the Open Gardens and the Carol Service.
Henry Harington, Chairman of the Parish Council expressed his frustration in an email to Somerset West and Taunton Council and other stakeholders last week:
“The numbers of people and places to which we are expected to register our objection to the removal of the telephone box and telephone service in Luccombe appears to know no bounds. Last year we objected to a variety of departments and personages at BT, including the chief executive and a range of public bodies including the Exmoor National Park, West Somerset and Taunton Council and the National Trust and the local Member of Parliament.
“This year we have had to repeat the process as BT has again said it wishes to remove the telephone box and the service in Luccombe…we hereby lodge with West Somerset and Taunton Council the strongest possible objection to the removal of the telephone box and telephone service from Luccombe.”
After initially telling residents to oppose the planning proposal for the removal of the box (we discovered that no proposal has been submitted, so it could not be objected to), BT then informed us that because the telephone is on private land (belonging to the National Trust) it is not a public call box and can be removed without permission. According to BT, anyone wishing to oppose the removal should therefore email BT at the following address: payphones.planning.office@bt.com. but we believe it may be better to email Somerset West and Taunton Council: governance@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk to explain the situation and why the phone box is still needed.
Due to the chaotic nature of BT’s response and fearing that we may come out in the meantime and discover that the phone box has simply disappeared. We sought the help of the press and our local MP. Following a strongly worded press release from Ian Lidell-Grainger the story has been picked up by the County Gazette this morning and we also have an article going into the Western Daily Press this week. This morning Andrew Kay from the Breeze radio came to interview Henry and the BBC are now in touch too. We will add links to all of these stories as they appear online.
Andrew Kay from the Breeze
Thanks to Henry, Eric and everyone in the parish for their continued support. Living in a place with no mobile signal and unreliable broadband means that this phone box is very much needed – even if it isn’t in constant use – and unless you live here, this can be difficult to comprehend. Mr Liddell-Grainger has described the situation very efficiently in his press release and we hope that he will continue to campaign for better connectivity in this area if/when the phone box is saved:
“Virtually all the phones in the village are digital so if there is a power cut they won’t work and without a functioning public phone box people will have no way of calling for help if an emergency arises.
“Some people might argue that that would be an extremely rare combination of circumstances but history shows us rare combinations of circumstances do occur, often with devastating consequences.
“BT must leave that phone box in place until alternative communications can be provided and I am looking to the National Trust and the National Park to work together on that.”
Read Ian Liddell-Grainger’s press release in full: MP’S ‘SORT IT’ CALL OVER VILLAGE’S PHONE PROBLEMS
If you would like to oppose the removal of the phone box – please comment on this post and explain why it is important – and also take a minute to email Somerset West and Taunton Council to let them know what you think: governance@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk
Somerset County Gazette article: Battle to save landmark red phone box in Somerset village hots up – with MP entering the row
BBC News 18th August 2020
Interview on BBC Somerset Sound
Read more about the history of our iconic phone box and previous attempts to save it.
I have just registered my own objection with the SW&T Council.
Just a thought:- If there was a defibrillator at the Village Hall, would it be taken away after a year if no-one had used it?
I believe that t remove the telephone box is to risk the lives of the good folk who live in the area .
Given the news tonight on BBC. To remove a working telephone box is to risk the lives of the good folk who live in this area, given the lack of mobile phone coverage.
Yes, leave the red telephone box where it is. They were designed to allow people to communicate if needed, especially in an emergency and that’s exactly what it’s doing now….its job.
Too many of these iiconically british telephone boxes are quietly disappearing all over the uk. This one is definitely needed, so it must stay.
This box is a vital and important resource for all of us who live in the village.