Plans to turn historic phone boxes into vending and arcade-style machines would be ‘cultural vandalism’, locals claim.
The booths located in the shadow of Canterbury’s Westgate Towers would be transformed into an arcade grab machine, while the other would have a small snack vending machine installed.
Prizes from the arcade grabber would include soft toys and restaurant vouchers, which could be redeemed in the city.
The bid has been submitted by Dylan Emmett, who bought the two units at a property auction for £17,000, which was £3,000 over the guide price.
However, artist and senior research fellow at Canterbury Christ Church University, Dr Mehri-Holliday, joins a conservationist group in condemning the application making the changes to the ‘quintessentially British’ Grade II-listed ‘icons’.
In her comment on the council’s planning portal, Dr Holliday says: ‘This is one way of executing cultural vandalism, in my view.
‘We don’t need vending machines for junk food and pollutants in the form of claw-grab toys.
‘The city is working hard on developing cultural ideas to the benefit of young and old, and it is deeply disturbing that all we can come up with and offer for reactivating such national-historic icons is to use them to purchase junk.’
The booths located in the shadow of Canterbury’s Westgate Towers would house a compact grab machine, while the other would have a small snack vending machine installed
The bid has been submitted by Dylan Emmett, who bought the two units at a property auction for £17,000, which was £3,000 over the guide price
In his proposal, Mr Emmett says it would be a ‘sensitive’ restoration and any changes would be ‘visually contained within the kiosks’.
However, Stewart Ross of the Canterbury Commemoration Society said while he is ‘delighted that these iconic boxes are being preserved’ that ‘vending machines are not appropriate furniture’ for them.
‘There is every possibility to buy whatever one wants only yards from the boxes, and naked commercialism seems inappropriate for their position at the entrance to the old city, with the Towers and the Gaol in the background,’ he said.
‘The council has done so much recently to enhance the city as a quality tourist venue, based on our fine heritage; it would be a pity to spoil this important site with something wholly heritage unrelated.’
A previous applicant gained permission to turn the booths into retail units, but they never materialised.
Mr Emmett previously said: ‘The area is getting done up by the council, so I thought it could be quite a hive.
‘I want to go to businesses and restaurants, and see what vouchers they could offer.
‘Locals or tourists could win them, and then they’d be putting the money back into the restaurants.’
He now says it’s a ‘waiting game’ as the council planning chiefs deliberate over his application.