BT HAS announced proposals to remove 95 payphones from the Snowdonia National Park, despite the area’s notoriously poor mobile phone coverage.

The Snowdonia National Park Authority has been told by BT that the kiosks are “no longer viable” and that use of payphones has declined by over 90 per cent in the last decade.

BT also suggested that the use of payphones for emergency situations is “diminishing”.

Park authority officials debated the proposal at a planning and access committee this week.

They have written to BT requesting that payphones are retained in ‘not-spots’ where there is no mobile coverage and to press on the company the importance of payphones in rural areas.

Officials also noted that several payphones “providing a social need” will be saved, with examples including phones in suicide and accident blackspots and areas within 400 metres of the coast.

A consultation is currently being held and park staff will reiterate their concerns during this period. It ends on 15 December

A BT spokesperson said: “BT is carrying out an ongoing review of payphones which we believe are no longer needed. We have written to Snowdonia National Park proposing the removal of 95 payphones.

“Where we receive objections from the local authority, we won’t remove the payphone.

“As an alternative to removal, we will continue to actively promote the Adopt a Kiosk scheme to all councils whilst being committed to maintaining the payphones that remain.”

Read the full story in this week’s north editions of the Cambrian News