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.

The iconic K6 or Jubilee kiosk was designed by Gilbert Scott and launched in 1936 to celebrate King George V’s silver jubilee.

In the 1960s there were nearly 70,000 across the country but that number is down to 12,500 today.

BT has no immediate plans for more cuts. However, the company believes that many red boxes do not have a long-term future as working telephones.

BT started its Adopt a Kiosk scheme to give councils the chance to preserve part of the country’s heritage.

But a company spokeswoman said yesterday that the scheme did not mean all red boxes would stop being working telephones.

She said: “Adopt a Kiosk was developed following feedback from local authorities wanting to secure the future of their red kiosks.

“While it is true that demand for public payphones is in decline, where a clear social need is proved we are more than happy to maintain low usage, unprofitable kiosks.”

The 13 red phone boxes which Kirklees is considering adopting:

Lower Cumberworth; Wakefield Road, Denby Dale; Cumberworth Road, Skelmanthorpe; Outside Hepworth Post Office; Towngate, Upperthong; Hall Ing Lane, Honley; Farwell Lane, New Mill; Oldfield, Honley; Riley Lane, Kirkburton; Near Black Bull Hotel, Penistone Road, Shepley; Junction of Wilshaw Road and Lower Greave Road, Meltham; The Slades, Helme, Meltham; Jackroyd Lane, Mirfield

The 14 red phone boxes which are also eligible for adoption:

Windmill Inn, Busker Lane, Skelmanthorpe; Stringer House Lane, Emley; Park Head, Greenfield Road, Holmfirth; Opposite Fleece Inn, Holme; Penistone Road, Shelley; Marsh Lane, Shepley; Barnsley Road, Flockton; Junction of The Knowle and Abbey Road, Shepley ;North Road, Kirkburton;

Junction of Golcar Brow Road and Slaithwaite Road, Meltham; Calder Road, Mirfield;

Dunbottle Lane, Mirfield ; Stocks Bank Road, Mirfield ; Hopton Drive, Mirfield.