Ideas wanted for red phone boxes

Jan 30 2010 Hudd Sat

A TOWN council has pledged to maintain two old-style red phone boxes.

But Meltham Town Council wants your ideas for what the town’s iconic kiosks should be used for.

The boxes, at the junction of Wilshaw Road and Lower Greave Road, Meltham, and The Slades, Helme, are two of 13 adopted by Kirklees Council in November.

Kirklees committed £13,000 to protect the kiosks, all in conservation areas or near listed buildings, for three years.

The move means town councils can buy the phone boxes from BT for £1 each.

They will then be given £1,000 to maintain each box for three years.

But each box will be disconnected from the phone network and put to new uses.

In July, a traditional red phone box in Settle, North Yorkshire, was converted into what claimed to be the ‘world’s smallest art gallery’.

Meltham Town Council (MTC) chairman Terry Lyons said: “MTC hope to have the phone boxes and look after them as soon as possible.

“But we need to find out what people want doing with them.”

Suggestions can be sent to melthamcouncil@btconnect.com or by calling: 01484 852367.