TELECOMS firm BT is proposing to remove 27 telephone boxes from towns and villages across the Forest.

There is a 42-day consultation period during which time the public can have their say on the proposed removal.

Notices have been placed on each of the boxes including the date from when the consultation started and comments have to be sent to the Local Plan team at the Forest of Dean District Council.

BT has said: “Overall use of payphone has declined by over 90 per cent in the last decade and the need to provide payphones for use in emergencies is diminishing all the time with at least 98 per cent of the UK having either 3G or 4G coverage.

“This is important because as long as there is network coverage, it is now possible to call the emergency services, even when there is no credit or coverage from your own mobile provider.”

The boxes earmarked for closure are: Berry Hill: Park Road; Blaisdon: Blaisdon Lane; Blakeney: Bridge Street; Brockweir: Hillgay; Cinderford: St White’s Road; Coleford: Tufthorn Close; Huntley: Tibberton Lane; Lydbrook: Lydbrook, Forge Row and Upper Lydbrook; Lydney: Lower Meend, Ridler Road and Templeway West; Mitcheldean: Eastern Avenue and Plump Hill; Newent: The Tythings; Newnham: Station Road; Parkend; Redbrook; Ruardean: St John’s Road; Soudley: Upper Soudley; St Briavels: The Common, High Street and The Fence; The Pludds; Westbury: Stantway and the village.

According to BT figures, in the last 12 months there have been no calls made from the boxes at Brockweir, Lower Meend and Ridler Road in Lydney, one of the boxes in Lydbrook and Newnham.

The most calls during that period was from Parkend with 84, followed by Tufthorn Close, Coleford with 63 and Templeway West in Lydney with 57.

The notices were posted on either July 10 or July 11 which means that comments have to be received by either Wednesday, August 21 or Thursday, August 22.

As part of the closure programme, BT is offering local communities the opportunity to ‘adopt’ a traditional red phone box.

They can be bought for £1 by the landowner, a registered charity, parish or town councils or the district councils.

West Dean Parish Council recently adopted 14 boxes and are working with arts group Canopy to create an arts trail across the parish, transforming the kiosks into artworks.

The first phase will involve contacting artists to run workshops and work with local communities near the boxes.

The deadline for applications is Friday, August 30 and information is available by e-mailing [email protected] or joining Canopy’s Facebook page.