BT wants to close 214 payphones around Shropshire. Thirteen of these are in the Ludlow and Clee area. One is the second most used phone on the countywide closure list and is used on average once a day. But, in an age of mobile phones, do we still need phone boxes? I think we do as several of these phone boxes are in mobile phone not spots.
Shropshire Council is consulting on the removal of these and other payphones around the county. It is asking for views by Monday 28 November 2016. Please send your comments to community.enablement@shropshire.gov.uk.
Here is the list of payphones in the Ludlow and Clee area that are proposed for closure.
| Address | Post Code | Total Calls (Last 12 months) | Parish | Unitary Authority Electoral Division |
| PCO WHEELER ROAD LUDLOW | SY8 1JD | 347 | Ludlow CP | Ludlow East ED |
| PARYS ROAD LUDLOW | SY8 1XB | 87 | Ludlow CP | Ludlow South ED |
| SUBWAY SHEET ROAD LUDLOW | SY8 1LQ | 64 | Ludlow CP | Ludlow South ED |
| PCO ASHFORD CARBONEL LUDLOW | SY8 4BY | 37 | Ashford Carbonel CP | Ludlow South ED |
| CLEETON ST MARY 1PCO LUDLOW ROAD CLEE HILL LUDLOW | SY8 3NZ | 6 | Bitterley CP | Clee ED |
| BITTERLEY TITTERSTONE COTTAGES CLEE HILL LUDLOW | SY8 3PP | 2 | Bitterley CP | Clee ED |
| THE PARISH ROOM CAYNHAM LUDLOW | SY8 3BJ | 2 | Caynham CP | Clee ED |
| MIDDLETON PO 1PCO MIDDLETON LUDLOW | SY8 2DZ | 1 | Bitterley CP | Clee ED |
| PCO ANGEL BANK BITTERLEY LUDLOW | SY8 3HT | 0 | Bitterley CP | Clee ED |
| NR BROMFIELD SO BROMFIELD LUDLOW | SY8 2JR | 0 | Bromfield CP | Ludlow North ED |
With the mobile phone signal as pathetic as it is, it’s a matter of time before someone’s life/unborn baby’s life depends on one of those boxes.
I can’t think when I last used a payphone but for the Wheeler Road phone to be used 347 times in a year seems to be significant.
I believe some of the boxes are listed buildings. These would need listed building consent which, as it would be tantamount to demolition, would also need SoS approval.