RESIDENTS across Dartmoor have reacted angrily to BT’s proposal to close a number of public phone boxes across the moor.

In Dartmoor Forest Parish both phone boxes at Postbridge and Bellever have had notices put up by the telephone company stating: ‘Our information shows that this phone box has had very little use over a significant period of time. We are therefore proposing to remove this phone box.’

Councillor Julian Greatrex, who represents Postbridge on Dartmoor Forest Parish Council, was very concerned about the proposal. He said: ‘The phone boxes may not have had much use however, that is not really the point. They are a vital lifeline for small, rural communities and visitors to the moor who may need to call for help in an emergency.

‘We have virtually non-existent mobile phone coverage here, therefore if walkers, cyclists, horse riders or climbers on the moor need help, they may see a phone box marked on the Ordnance Survey map and make their way there. If the phone is not working this could be potentially a long, wasted journey across open moorland in difficult conditions, losing valuable time for the emergency services to reach the injured party.’

The concern on the impact of closing the phone boxes was shared by the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team (DSRT) based in Tavistock, which covers the Postbridge area, including Bellever Forest and the open moorland to the north as far as Fur Tor.

DSRT Tavistock team lead Paul Hudson said: ‘In the past, there have been several incidents in that area where our services have been required — some of which were initiated from public phone boxes. Any reduction in the availability of means of calling for help could increase the time of response to assist, possibly to the detriment of the casualty.’

The notice posted by BT advises anyone with concerns to contact ‘your local planning department’. However, this is complicated by this part of the moor falling under both Dartmoor National Park and West Devon Borough Council.

Steve Cox, clerk to Dartmoor Forest Parish Council, said: ‘It seems BT’s records show that these phone boxes fall under both areas. However, when you call them one day they tell you to contact West Devon but when you call the next day they advise you to contact Dartmoor National Park. It has been very difficult for the parish council and local residents to get through this confusing bureaucracy and log our objections.’

Mr Cox said it had now been confirmed that Dartmoor National Park was the planning department that BT had notified about these closures and who would be consulting with residents about the proposals.

It seems the problem is not confined to Dartmoor Forest Parish. Cllr Wendy Watson, who also represents Postbridge on the parish council, advised residents across Dartmoor and West Devon to check their local phone box to see if BT had posted a proposed closure notice.

She said: ‘We have now heard that 40 phone boxes across Dartmoor are threatened with closure. You may not need to use your local phone box at the moment, however if you live in a remote area, your phone and broadband are not working and you need to call for help, they may be your only option.’

A spokesperson for BT said: ‘BT is committed to providing a public pay phone service, but with usage declining by over 90 per cent in the last decade, we’ve continued to review and remove pay phones which are no longer needed.

‘Any removal of pay phones is carried out in strict adherence to the Ofcom guidelines and, where appropriate, with the consent of local authorities.

‘In all instances where there’s no other pay phone within 400 metres, we’ll ask for consent from the local authority to remove the pay phone. Where we receive objections from the local authority, we won’t remove the pay phone.

‘As an alternative to removal, we will continue to actively promote the Adopt a Kiosk scheme to all councils while being committed to maintaining the pay phones that remain.’