COUNCILLORS have approved plans to remove more than 30 phone boxes in North Ayrshire.

Eight will be removed in Kilwinning while Irvine will be losing five due to lack of use.

The decision was made by members of North Ayrshire Council’s Planning Committee last week.

Back in September, BT announced plans to get rid of 32 phone boxes across North Ayrshire.

Both BT and the council agreed that the low levels of usage would mean any removal would not affect the area due to greater usage of mobile phones.

But an exception was made at the meeting for a phone box to be kept in West Kilbride following objections from residents.

The phone boxes in Kilwinning’s Bridgend, Fergushill Road/Montgomerie Terrace, Stevenston Road, Dirrans, Almswall Road, Pennyburn local centre, Baird Avenue and Pennyburn Road will all be removed.

In Irvine, Lochilbo Road, Perceton village, South Vennel, Roseholm Avenue, Thornhouse Avenue and Main Street in Dreghorn will also lose phone boxes.
Lochilbo Road (143 calls) and the Main Street (109) were the only phone boxes used within the last 12 months.

All of the Kilwinning phone boxes were used within the last year but only two - Almswall Road (163) and Pennyburn (236) - were used to place more than 100 calls.

A letter supplied by council planning chief Jim Miller stated: “BT’s justification makes reference to the declining use of call boxes in the UK generally, the increasing incidence of mobile phone ownership and improvements in the mobile network to provide access to the emergency network even where there is no network coverage from the users’ own coverage provider. 

“They also confirm that some locations are not considered for removal, including those (a) in suicide hotspots, (b) in accident blackspots, (c) in areas with no mobile coverage or (d) within 400m of the coast.”