Community Building FAQ

From Norfolk RCC

Below are some of the most common queries we receive from community building management committees together with answers.

Do we have to have a public telephone?

No, Over recent years providers have pushed up the cost of having pay phones to the point where most building find them insustainable. There is no law to state that community buildings should have a public phone. However you should think through in an emergency how users will be able to summon help. Many users will carry mobiles but is their a public phone box near by? If so are visable instructions within the hall that would help a user unfamiliar to the community? e.g. a poster with "public phone box turn left 500m" wriietn on it, displayed by the door. If your building is in a very isolated areas you may consider maintaining a pay phone or look into securing a pay as you go mobile in such a way that it could only be used in an emergency (e.g. locked in a draw that the hirer has a key for and is informed that they are responsible for and should only be used in an emergency). A potentially very simple solution is to come to arrangment with one of your neighbours that they can be used as an emergency.