Crime and anti-social behaviour linked to broken and vandalised phone boxes could spur Brighton and Hove City Council to issue BT with “community protection notices”.
The Green leader of the council Phélim Mac Cafferty has written to BT threatening to take action against the phone company if it fails to “tackle this blight”.
Breaching a “community protection notices” (CPN) is a criminal offence and can land a company with an unlimited fine.
Councillor Mac Cafferty has written to BT twice in just over a month after the reply to his first letter was “disappointing”.
In his latest letter on Friday (8 April) he said a number of BT’s old phone boxes “continue to be prime targets for all manner of anti-social and criminal behaviour”.
He wrote: “I would have thought that removing the phones would be a BT corporate priority in order to save precious time and money, rather than having to attend to them on a regular basis, given the appalling state they are in.
“I also would have thought that the bad public relations you suffer as a result of the spate of vandalism on the phones in Brighton and Hove would have encouraged speedier action.
“Ofcom’s universal service obligation stipulates that BT must ‘provide a reasonable number of working phone boxes where they’re most needed’ but BT doesn’t appear to support that aim with telephones that are free from vandalism.
“One of the phones has been switched to ‘emergency calls only’.”
BT is currently installing “street hubs” across the city, offering rapid charging, wifi, a dedicated 999 button, free phone calls and touch-screen tablets.
Councillor Mac Cafferty said: “BT’s behaviour on this means I am regretfully filled with dread with the new street hubs appearing in the city.
“We have been informed that these will have a fortnightly maintenance programme to address anti-social behaviour, including graffiti. Why can’t BT make this commitment to the rest of your property?
“I am committed to tidying up our wonderful city but I must be clear: our environmental enforcement team will be issuing community protection notices to you and others to tackle this blight where it is identified.
“I urge you to use this opportunity to work with the city council. Reconsider and prioritise the removal of the telephone boxes highlighted in my letter to you as well as others across Brighton and Hove.
“Prevent the need for council officials to issue CPNs and permit them to proactively focus on new and emerging problems.
Here is an idea.
‘environmental enforcement team’ aka Brighton council revenue team should focus their efforts on stopping vandalism. For the head of the council to blame BT for vandalism to BT property on BHCC turf is really quite cheeky. Perhaps BT should take Brighton council to court for lack of action on vandalism and graffiti.
Put it another way. Imagine someone threw a brick through your window and you didn’t get it fixed in 24 hours and someone then comes along and bricks another one of your windows. By BHCC logic, the second one lol probably the first one is your fault for having windows.
Old Steine phone boxes are within 50-100 metres of one another, often side by side. Smashed and vandalised, used fir urination and drug use. Mr MacCafferty has supported street hubs in communication with me and has at no point in the last year added any support to my campaign, I have been ignored and patronised with promises of inspections, cleaning and consultations. This is a diversionary tactic by the council leader blaming others for his administration’s shortcomings
In the photo of Pool Valley it looks as if the wheelie bins are mounting an attack on the phone boxes What with them, the litter and the grafitti the place looks a complete mess. Phone boxes have long been a target for vandalism, theft and antisocial behaviour, has the council got any good ideas how to stop it (hypothetical question)?