Red phone boxes in Huddersfield to be saved by Kirklees Council

Nov 11 2009 By Barry Gibson

THEY’RE an icon of Britishness.

And today councillors will decide whether to adopt 13 red telephone boxes to secure their long-term future.

The kiosks would be disconnected from the phone network and put to new use – for example as a mini community art gallery.

Kirklees Council’s Cabinet will decide today whether to spend £13,000 on the scheme. The 13 phone boxes planned for protection are all in conservation areas or near listed buildings.

If the plan goes ahead, town councils will buy the kiosks off BT for £1each. Kirklees will then give the town councils £1,000 to maintain each box for three years.

Kirklees conservation and design team leader Charles Smith has drawn up the plan.

He said: “If this goes ahead, it would be entirely up to town councils what they do. They may wish to leave the boxes as they are to retain the heritage or they may wish to put it to a more creative use.

“There’s a good example in Settle in North Yorkshire where a phone box has been turned into a mini art gallery with a constantly changing collection of pictures.”

Mr Smith added: “The red telephone box is considered by many to be an important part of the street scene.”

Thirteen red phone boxes in conservation areas or near listed buildings are eligible for funding by Cabinet today. However, another 14 kiosks in Kirklees are also available for adoption.

Mr Smith said: “We don’t feel we can offer money for all the kiosks because this money comes from funding which is designated for conservation areas. However, we might look at a more flexible approach.”

The council’s Labour Cabinet will vote on the plan at Huddersfield Town Hall today.

However, even before funding is secure, Meltham Town Council has already committed to adopting the red phone boxes on The Slades in Helme and at the junction of Wilshaw Road and Lower Greave Road.