FOLLOWING a 90-day consultation with town and parish councils, which ended last month, final decisions on the future of nearly 30 pay phones in West Devon have been decided.

West Devon Borough Council (WDBC) held a consultation after being informed by BT that 28 public pay phones had been identified for possible removal in the West Devon area.

Parish and town councils have since consulted, giving their views to West Devon Borough Council on whether to consent to the removal of the pay phones or object to their removal.

In Okehampton and the surrounding areas, it was agreed to consent to the removal of pay phones at Bratton Clovelly Post Office, Meeth, the pay phone in the lay by on Exeter Road in Stockley, the one in the picnic area bypass at Sourton, Boasley Cross and Cross Meadow in Spreyton.

It was agreed to object to the removal of pay phones at Beaworthy Village, Coryton, Moorview in Hatherleigh, the village green at Cornerways in Kelly, Old School House in Lifton, Lifton Down, Lewdown telephone exchange, the pay phone on the junction of Fore Street and The Square in North Tawton, the one on the junction of Station Road and Tors Road in Okehampton, the one near Sampford Courtenay Station and Portgate Hill Cottages at Lewdown.

It was agreed to adopt the phone box at Thorndon Cross.

This list of final decisions will now be put forward by the borough council to the Secretary of State and BT.

Cllr Benson, West Devon Borough Council’s lead member for the environment, said: ‘Unfortunately the issue around disconnecting these BT phone boxes is a sign of the times, with most residents using mobile phones when out and about. The majority of the phone boxes related to this consultation have been used less than 12 times in a year, with consideration being given to those pay phones that are in isolated areas or near suicide or accident hotspots.’