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Residents in Newport city centre have expressed strong dissatisfaction with the state of the local telephone boxes, describing them as “dirty” and “grubby.” These neglected booths have become an eyesore, prompting calls for their replacement with modern BT Street Hubs. These upgraded kiosks provide free, high-speed Wi-Fi, phone charging points, and UK phone calls, offering a significant improvement over the current facilities.
Michael Enea, a political blogger and Conservative party campaigner, highlighted the particularly poor condition of one such phone box at the junction of Llanarth Street and John Frost Square. He described it as “covered in dirt, muck and moss” and called its appearance “absolutely appalling.” Local jeweller Susan Priest also criticized the same phone box, stating that “no one uses” it and that it “needs replacing,” further emphasizing its dilapidated state as looking “like a right state” and resembling “a sore thumb.”
Newport City Council has clarified that it does not have the authority to remove the phone boxes, explaining that their maintenance falls under the responsibility of BT. Although the council has formally raised concerns with BT about the poor upkeep, the final responsibility for repairs and cleaning lies with the telecommunications company. BT representatives acknowledged that phone boxes often fall victim to vandalism and anti-social behavior but assured that engineers regularly service the booths, with cleaning scheduled every time a maintenance visit occurs.
BT has confirmed plans to dispatch an engineer to inspect and repair the affected phone box mentioned by residents. The telecommunications firm has installed BT Street Hubs—featuring large 75-inch screens—in high-traffic areas such as Cardiff, Swansea, and parts of Newport, and there is local support for these modern kiosks to be introduced more widely as part of broader city centre improvements. According to Mr Enea, such upgrades are essential to “freshen up the city centre,” especially since “visitors notice things which are dirty, grubby and grimy,” even if locals have become accustomed to the state of the current booths
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