This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities...
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
    • Politics
    • Transport
    • Lifestyle
    • Community
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Education
    • Sport
    • Harrogate
    • Ripon
    • Knaresborough
    • Boroughbridge
    • Pateley Bridge
    • Masham
  • What's On
  • Offers
  • Newsletter
  • Podcasts

Interested in advertising with us?

Advertise with us

  • News & Features
  • Your Area
  • What's On
  • Offers
  • Newsletter
  • Podcasts
  • Politics
  • Transport
  • Lifestyle
  • Community
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Education
  • Sport
Advertise with us
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Latest News

We want to hear from you

Tell us your opinions and views on what we cover

Contact us
Connect with us
  • About us
  • Advertise your job
  • Correction and complaints
Download on App StoreDownload on Google Play Store
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Statement
  • Comments Participation T&Cs
Trust In Journalism

Copyright © 2020 The Stray Ferret Ltd, All Rights Reserved

Site by Show + Tell

Subscribe to trusted local news

In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

  • Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.

Already a subscriber? Log in here.

02

Jul

Last Updated: 02/07/2025
Community
Community

BT disconnects Ripon city centre's final payphone

by Tim Flanagan

| 02 Jul, 2025
Comment

0

ripon-1-july-2025-line-of-telephone-kiosks
Ripon City Council has already adopted three of the four kiosks.

The last BT payphone in Ripon city centre has been decommisioned, despite calls for it to be retained for emergency use by people who don't have mobile phones.

Ripon City Council, which has adopted three of the four kiosks that stand in line on Market Square, asked BT to keep one payphone in use, but the telecommunications giant turned down the request.

Council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:

When BT advised us that they were planning to decommission the city centre's final payphone we objected, because not everybody has a mobile phone and there are also times when mobile networks are down.

With both of those factors in mind, we pointed out that there may be situations, such as medical emergencies, when the availability of a payphone could prove vital.

ripon-1-july-2025-telephone-kiosk-sign

BT's sign on the newly-disconnected payphone kiosk, says it is 'protected for future generations'

Now that BT has made its decision, the city council is seeking to take over responsbility for the fourth telephone box as part of BT's 'Adopt a Kiosk' scheme, which enables redundant kiosks to be retained for community use, such as tourist information points.

Cllr Williams said:

Though we are disappointed with BT's decision, the iconic kiosks still remain as part of Ripon's heritage and will be put to good use as a community asset.

StarTemperatures soar — but when will Ripon paddling pool reopen?StarCurtain rises on Ripon's 'biggest and boldest' theatre festival yet