Old South London phone box allowed to turn into a coffee shop

A disused South London phone box can be turned into a coffee shop, a planning inspector has ruled. Lambeth Council had refused proposals to fit out the Grade-II listed structure on Baylis Road in Waterloo with a coffee machine and mini fridge last year.

But a government-appointed inspector overruled the council’s refusal following an appeal. In its original refusal letter, Lambeth had argued that the loss of the telephone and other fittings from the structure would ‘impair an understanding of the box’s function’ and ‘erode its interest’.

The council also raised concerns that the new fittings would be visible from outside the telephone box and ‘impair an appreciation’ of its design. But in their appeal to the government’s Planning Inspectorate Saira Iqbal and Bilal Hassan argued that the proposed alterations wouldn’t change the appearance of the telephone box in any way that would be ‘at odds with the traditional character and fabric of the kiosk’.

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They added that they aimed to bring the red telephone box to life with their proposal.

Cullum Parker, the planning inspector for the case, said the changes wouldn’t be ‘especially intrusive’ to the building and accepted their appeal.

Explaining his decision, he said: “In terms of the proposed use as a coffee shop I acknowledge the council’s concerns that this would be an ahistorical use of the building.

“Ideally, the historical use as a phone box would best reflect the original intention of the building’s design. However, it is evident that use of the listed building for telecommunications is no longer considered necessary by telephone providers given I have not been presented with any evidence of such.

“In the absence of such demand (which is not surprising given the dominance of mobile telephones), it makes sense to consider alternate uses for the heritage asset.”

The cast iron telephone box was designed in 1927 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. It is one of nine listed phone kiosks in Lambeth.

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