Ramsey Commissioners are seeing red after learning that the planning department has served Manx Telecom with a notice of intention to register a redundant telephone phone box.

The box in question is located in the Memorial Gardens adjacent to Ramsey Courthouse.

Last month, the commissioners agreed to accept the box from Manx Telecom and use it to house a defibrillator.

Reading the Notice of Intention to the board, town clerk, Peter Whiteway said the phone box was a K8, designed by Bruce Martin in 1968.

Despite more than 11,000 being built and installed around the British Isles, few survive.

Board member Luke Parker was disappointed the defibrillator plan might not proceed. He also warned that if the commissioners took on responsibility for the box it could cost the town a lot of money.

expensive

’That small phone box could become a very expensive drain on the town’s finances. If it’s registered, we’d be responsible for its upkeep.

’Saving a life is more important than preserving an empty box painted red for the sake of conservation.

’We should withdraw our interest and install a defibrillator on the wall instead.’

Juan McGuinness described the notice of intention as ’an absolute joke’.

’It’s a waste of time, not worth the stamp. It’s petty-minded and ridiculous that this could stand in the way of a defibrillator.’

Paul Healey, chairman of Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation, a charity that raises money for defibrillators to be distributed across the island, was ’disappointed’ to hear of the consideration.

He said: ’After seeing what has happened to the box in Ramsey I am shocked and disappointed with this decision.

’How is this going to help with our campaign going forward? It’s not.’

Following Danish footballer Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest at the first Euro 2020 match, the charity has received an influx of requests and donations for defibrillators in the island.

Mr Healey continued: ’A defibrillator is quite possibly the best use for these phone boxes.

’There are already a lot of obstacles we have to get by in order to put these life saving pieces of equipment round the island and this will just add to that. I echo Juan’s comments and hope common sense will prevail in the end.’

The board voted unanimously to send the planning committee a written objection to the plan.