“Save red phone kiosk” plea from heritage group

The booth, on the corner of Moorgate Road and Boston Castle Grove, is one of 48 BT has suggested removing because of lack of use.

Consultation closed on Wednesday (16) and Rotherham Borough Council will decide whether to object to the phone company’s proposal.

But Rotherham District Civic Society said it had become increasingly frustrated by RMBC’s “cavalier” attitude towards the borough’s heritage.

Secretary Peter Hawkridge said: “At a time when we are investing money raised, on a voluntary basis, on blue plaques for the town, they are busily destroying elements which don’t turn a buck.

“Two years ago, Doncaster Gate Hospital was demolished to make way for a grass bank. The northern part of that building would have made a superb art gallery for artists, past and present, having been refurbished at the expense of council tax payers.”

He added: “The telephone kiosk at the corner of Moorgate Road and Boston Castle Grove is a noted feature within that conservation area. Admittedly, it is in need of some TLC, but that is what happens as things get older.”

The kiosk is one of the iconic K6 designs by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. It was included in the society’s Local List of Buildings of Architectural or Historical Interest, published earlier this year.

A further consultation will be held on the phone boxes after the council makes its recommendations.