PLANS to install 15 new solar-powered public telephone kiosks in the town centre have been submitted to Swindon Council.

Infocus Public Networks Ltd, an electronic communications network provider, is behind the applications.

They are black, modern boxes, wider than traditional kiosks to enable wheelchair access, and open at one side to deter potential crime. They are powered by solar energy and link into the mobile telephone network.

There would be three kiosks in Canal Walk, two in Regent Street, one in Regent Circus, one in Havelock Street, two in The Parade. one in Wellington Street, one in Bridge Street, one next to Tricentre Two, one to the rear of Theatre Square, one in Commercial Road and one outside Swindon railway station.

This month, BT revealed it was planning to remove more than 1,000 phone boxes this year, as only three per cent of people had made a call from one in the last month.

But Derek Parkin, managing director at Infocus, says they are needed in Swindon.

In the applications, he writes: “Despite the growth in the use of mobile phones, there remains a need for public payphones, particularly for minorities within urban communities.

“Ethnic minorities rely on public payphones to contact relatives overseas and many tourists use public payphones to make calls, using international telephone cards.”

He said all payphones must legally provide facilities for emergency calls and operator assistance, free-of-charge, and a report on the work of Childline found that a significant proportion of calls by abused children were from kiosks.

He said councils cannot take into account potential advertising on kiosks when deciding applications for siting and appearance.

Coun Rod Bluh (Con, Old Town) started a drive during his time as council leader to remove or replace ‘street clutter’ to improve the environment.

He said most people communicated via mobile phones or computers, and could not quite see why 15 boxes were needed in the town centre.

He said: “Obviously it’s going to be down to siting and where the things are placed. These things are quite bulky – 15 sounds quite a lot.”

Coun Bob Wright (Lab, Central) said he did not have a problem with them, as long as they were in the right position.

But he added: “If you are going to cater for community needs, you would put them in the communities where people live.”

Forward Swindon declined to comment and InSwindon did not comment by the end of Friday.