Community bid to turn phone box into life-saving defib station backed by council

[dutchman]

Woodlands councillors Peter Male and Gary Ridley are backing the bid



An old phone box in Coventry facing the axe over lack of use will be turned into a live-saving defibrillator.

More than 300 people signed a petition calling for the phone box on Sutherland Avenue, Mount Nod, to be adopted by the council and turned into a defib station.

Coventry City Council agreed to do just that at a meeting this week, and will take on responsibility and finance for a year provided a community group can step forward to take on long-term management.

Ward councillor and Conservative leader Cllr Gary Ridley, who backed the campaign, said: “There’s been strong public support for this idea right from the start.

“In fact, it was our brilliant residents that suggested converting this phone box into a defibrillator.

“Everyone pulled together to get signatures on the petition which has now helped to secure council support for the initiative.

“But we now need people to come forward again to help form a management group so that we can move forward to the next phase. Please get in touch if you can help.”

The phone box is one of 28 payphones in the city which BT has listed for removal, citing lack of usage.

Under its Adopt a Kiosk scheme, phone boxes can be adopted by the council for just £1 and BT will provide electricity free of charge for up to seven years.

Richard Moon, from the council’s development team, said: “We are agreeing that the council will approach BT asking for an adoption of the phone box provided that a properly constituted community group comes forward and agrees to take on the repair and maintenance liability of the phone box going forward.

“Clearly what we don’t want to do is create a long-term revenue liability for the council as there may well be a number of these phone boxes that become surplus to requirements over the years.”

Anyone interested in getting involved in the project can email Cllr Ridley at gary.ridley@coventry.gov.uk

[dutchman]

Residents baffled as BT phone box removed despite pledge for it to become a defibrillator station



Residents have been left baffled by the removal of a BT phone box which they thought Coventry City Council had agreed to turn into a defib station.

The phone box on Sutherland Avenue, Mount Nod, was listed for removal by BT at the end of July due to lack of use and was subject to a 90-day consultation.

More than 300 people signed a petition asking the council to adopt it for £1 under BT’s Adopt a Kiosk scheme so it can house a life-saving defibrillator.

The local community thought the campaign had been a roaring success when Coventry City Council agreed to do just that at council meeting on November 25.

But they have now been left puzzled to find the phone box already removed.

The wrangle occurred as BT said the consultation ended on October 25 and they had “no response” from the council to emails asking if it was to be adopted, and “no application” made.

Gary Ridley, who supported the campaign, has been left stumped as he was told by the authority that they would object to the removal and express interest in adopting it on August 23 – well within the consultation process.

He said: “This is starting to sound like crossed wires between the council and BT.

“I was given written assurances by the council that they would approach BT in August. I’ve then had further discussions with them leading up to the council formally agreeing to approach BT last month.

“There are clearly questions for both parties to answer but what I’m more interested in is what happens next.

“This campaign has clearly sparked an enthusiasm within the community for a defibrillator, so we’ll see if it’s possible to install one elsewhere within the vicinity. We’ve already had one offer of help so I’m still hopeful this will happen.”

A BT spokesman said: “During a consultation, if the local authority tells us they would like to keep particular payphones or adopt them, they will remain. We received no official adoption request from Coventry City Council with respect to the Sutherland Avenue phone box, despite sending the initial consultation letter and a follow up notification.

“As we did not hear back from the council during the 90 day consultation period, the necessary steps have been taken to remove the payphone.”

The city council has not responded to media questions at the time of writing.

[dutchman]

Typical council, they say one thing to your face and then do the opposite behind your back!