Red phone booth opposite ring o' bells

[Peter]

The man who repaired it told me it is due for painting in the near future!!!!

[Jay]

Was going for a walk today past the ringers and to my supprise I noticed that the kiosk has been repaired, it's had new glazing bars welded in where they've been kicked out. New windows and signs, all it's waiting for is a lick of paint. 

[Jay]

Done my bit and also bought one of my own to renovate back to its former glory, sadly must have come from some street corner somewhere they didn't have the support to keep it. Shame that the only people who will be able to see the one I got will be friends and family... when it's done! '>

[admin]

Here's the reply I've received from the Assistant Conservation officer. I've asked to be advised of the outcome of discussions with her boss, Paul Hartley, and urged that they should make representations to BT and also apply to English Heritage for spot listing of the kiosk. I suggest that anyone else interested in seeing the phone box repaired help to pile on the pressure by expressing their concerns to Fiona at the address below:

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With regard to your concerns relating to the telephone kiosk within All Saints conservation area, the Council’s powers in relation to conservation area designation relates to planning processes/policies and as an unlisted structure this telephone kiosk unfortunately is not under these controls. However BT and KCOM must publish any plans they have to remove a phone box from a particular location for full public consultation for a period of 90 days. They must display a notice on the call box to inform the public of their proposals and must inform the Local Authority.  During this consultation period local bodies can object to and veto the proposals. This means that phone boxes in UK can not be removed without local bodies having the final say. Nevertheless it may be worth making representations to BT with regard to the telephone kiosk, which is within a conservation area and forming part of an important group of street furniture, now being in a poor state of repair, although I stress again that as this does not fall under ‘planning’ the Council does not have any direct control over these works. Justification that the public phone box is still a local service requirement may also help this cause. I will discuss this issue further with the Conservation Team Leader, Paul Hartley. It may also be possible to put an application to English Heritage for Spot listing of the kiosk so that statutory protection which is not afforded at present can be applied to it. Spot listing of telephone boxes however often requires that the kiosk forms part of the setting of a listed building and conservation area designation in itself is not usually justification enough. However the fact that this box forms part of a group of historic street furniture and forms the setting of a locally significant building (though not listed) may give some teeth to an application. If you have any further comments or queries or comments or I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me. Best regards Fiona Albarracin Assistant Conservation Officer Tel: 0161 474 4561 fiona.albarracin@stockport.gov.uk

[Jay]

Mark, I've been in touch with both BT and the English Heritage department, last response was from the English Heritage in late October when I was told someone was being recruited to cover Greater Manchester and that they'd keep me updated. I've been on to both again at the beginning of the year but none have come back to me. I hope your contact has more clout than I've got. I'll get started on a letter to her right away.

[admin]

I was reminded of this by the Canal Conservation Area Review and whilst sending my comments in on that I have complained about the state of the phone box and the failure of the Conservation Area status to protect it.

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If I may express one concern with regard to the conservation area near to Bridge No. 2 (it's actually within the All Saints' Marple Conservation Area). I know that a number of people have been complaining about the state of repair of the red BT phone box opposite the Ring o' Bells to both the council and to BT for nearly 12 months, yet absolutely nothing has happened and it has been allowed to deteriorate to the extent that it may now be beyond repair. I imagine this is possibly a deliberate policy on BT's part because they do not want to maintain these boxes. This phone box is specifically mentioned in the Conservation Area Character Appraisal : "There is an important group of historic street furniture outside the Ring O’Bells pub, comprising a K6 telephone kiosk (34) and an EIIR pillar box. Both are in use and reasonably well-kept. A wall EIIR letter box is situated in the boundary wall to the glebe land at All Saints’ Church." The telephone box is no longer in use or well kept and no longer looks anything like the photograph in the document. In fact it has actually become an eyesore. Can I please ask what the Council propose to do about this? Does it demonstrate that when it comes to big business these Conservation Areas and local councils actually have very little power or influence? If the powers granted by Conservation Area status have so little teeth in these circumstances then I think it is a real failure and wonder if there is any real point to them. I would like to see the council use the Conservation Area status to force BT to properly restore this phone box back to the way it should be. Please let me know what action has been taken to date over this and what steps the council proposes to take to remedy this situation, or have they given up?

If anyone else would like to add their views or lend support to this then please write to fiona.albarracin@stockport.gov.uk, the council's Assistant Conservation Officer.

I will publish any response I get here.

[Jay]

Still trying for this poor old phone box. Had a number of replies since my last post and I keep pestering them! This is the latest from today... all though not looking good '>

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Hello Jayme I have reported the damaged kiosk, the reference is above.  I will highlight the matter the Field Manager.  I cannot confirm when the repairs will be done.  The repairs on the old style of kiosk - K6, are costly and the cast iron bars are not easy to have repaired.

[Jay]

Walking past the Ring o' Bells a few weeks ago I noticed the only remaining red phone box to survive in Marple is looking noticeably tired and vandalised. I've reported this booth to BT stating that it would be sad to see the last one removed from service in our area and could it be repaired in any way. They replied to me this morning saying that they have 'requested that the payphone is repaired'. Fingers crossed we shall soon see an old British icon restored back in Marple!