Kent towns and villages could lose their most iconic landmark – their local red telephone box.

Under plans by BT more than 400 payphones could be removed from the county’s streets – 71 of which are the traditional red boxes.

BT has drawn up the hit list of payphones which are no longer profitable because of declining usage due to the growth of the mobile phone.

Local authorities have been consulted, and BT is now ploughing through the results to determine where the axe will fall.

Nationally 31,000 payphones have been removed since 2002.

Now BT is giving Kent councils the option to ‘adopt’ a red telephone box if they want to keep it for heritage or aesthetic reasons.

They have until November 1 to do so.

~Listen: Lynda Shepherd, Kilndown resident tells of the disappearing site of the tourist attraction phone boxes. Click here to listen>>>

Goudhurst Parish Council is one of the authorities to take over a traditional phone box in Church Road, Kilndown from BT for £1. But it will not have a payphone.

John Ward, Kilndown parish councillor, said: “It’s part of our street furniture. It fits in with the image of the village. The only drawback will be for walkers who won’t be able to use it. It is less of a facility than it used to be.”

Lynda Shepherd, Kilndown resident, who is pleased the village will be keeping a red phone box, said: “If we lost the red telephone box we would lose an essential feature of the village.”

Mrs Shepherd believes more parish councils should adopt a phonebox: “I think they should otherwise villages up and down the country will become blobs on the land today and they will all look the same.”

For the full list of red phone boxes under consultation and which ones will be removed with BT see below >>

Consultations

Tower Parade, Whitstable

Bullockstone Rd, Herne Bay

Lower Hardres, Canterbury

Richdore Rd, Waltham, Canterbury

Padbrook Lane, Preston, Canterbury

Stourmouth, Canterbury

Bramling, Canterbury

Public Call Office, Denwood St, Crundale, Canterbury

The Street, Boughton Under Blean, Faversham

Church Lane, Kingston, Canterbury

Valley Rd, Barham, Canterbury

Island Rd, Upstreet, Canterbury

North Stream, Marshside, Canterbury

The Street, Mersham, Ashford

Church Rd, Sevington, Ashford

Bilsington, Ashford

The Forstal, Mersham, Ashford

Badlesmere Lees, Faversham

Bodsham, Ashford

The Street, East Brabourne, Ashford

Stone St, Stanford, Ashford

Swingfield Street, Swingfield, Dover

The Street, Northbourne, Deal

Circular Rd, Betteshanger, Deal

Barfrestone, Dover

Siberts Close, Shepherdswell, Dover

Chillenden, Canterbury

Frogham, Dover

Reach Rd, St Margarets At Cliffe, Dover

High St, Cowden, Edenbridge

Hartfield Rd, Cowden, Edenbridge

Goddards Green Rd, Benenden, Cranbrook

Dingleden, Benenden, Cranbrook

Iden Green Rd, Iden Green, Cranbrook

Maytham Rd, Rolvenden Layne, Cranbrook

Bodiam Rd, Sandhurst, Cranbrook

Cranbrook Rd, Frittenden, Cranbrook

Grovewood Drive, Weavering, Maidstone

Loose Rd, Loose, Maidstone

Windmill Hill, Rainham, Gillingham

Rutherford Way, Tonbridge

Five Oak Green Rd, Tudeley, Tonbridge

Godden Green, Sevenoaks

Stumble Hill, Shipbourne, Tonbridge

Tumblefield Rd, Stansted, Sevenoaks

Plaxdale Green Rd, Stansted, Sevenoaks

Fairseat, Sevenoaks

Underriver, Sevenoaks

Ashes Lane, Hadlow, Tonbridge

Hever Rd, Edenbridge

Main Rd, Crockham Hill, Edenbridge

Sevenoaks Rd, Ightham, Sevenoaks

The Street, Newnham, Sittingbourne

St Mary In The Marsh, Romney Marsh

Claygate, Marden, Tonbridge

Farnham Lane, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells

Chiddingstone, Edenbridge

Church Rd, Kilndown, Cranbrook

Main Rd, Knockholt, Sevenoaks

Courtesy ones BT can remove

High St, Whitstable

High St, Herne Bay

Duke Of Yorks Royal Militaryschool, Guston, Dover

High St, Gravesend

High St, Gravesend

The Grove, Gravesend

Main Gate Road The Historic Dockyard, Chatham

Norfolk Rd, Cliftonville, Margate

The Stade, Folkestone

New St, Sandwich

Station Rd, Tenterden

High St, Westerham

The story so far...

BT started its consultation with local authorities in April and is now analysing their responses.

At the start of the consultation there were 1,594 payphones in Kent - 63 per cent of which are unprofitable.

Councils can adopt a kiosk for historical reasons but the payphone will be removed or they can sponsor a kiosk at an annual fee of £500 to maintain the telephone service and the box.

BT has informed Sevenoaks District Council of its proposal to remove 22 phone boxes across the district.

Of these, the council objected to the removal of 19 on a variety of grounds, including poor mobile phone access in some rural areas and the effect on older and younger people. It is waiting to hear back from BT about its final decision.

All the red phone boxes in Medway, except one, are listed and so will be maintained by BT.