A popular pub wants to use Newtown’s last remaining traditional red telephone box as a photo booth.

The owner of The Exchange has asked Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Town Council if it’s possible to buy the phone box located outside The Regent Centre.

“We have done a lot of work on the building and whilst doing this we have tried to keep the history of the building,” Chris Greatorex explained in an email to the council on July 26.

“Our thinking with the phone booth would be to keep the history going using The Exchange name with the phone booth and getting people having photos both the booth inside the pub. This way also restoring the phone booth and keeping it in great condition.”

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The Town Council has discussed moving and changing the use of the Grade II-listed callbox outside the Regent Cinema for five years, but no final decisions have been made.

The council’s Economy and Environment Committee, who have been overseeing the project, will discuss Mr Greatorex’s proposal at their next meeting on Monday, September 2.

Mr Greatorex was told in an email from the town council that moving the phone box would need listed building consent and there would be costs for the removal and reinstallation, which was estimated to be around £5,374 in 2022.

If the councillors at Monday’s meeting agree in principle to the proposal then it would then need to go for approval by the Resources Committee which oversees the town council’s assets and disposal of assets.

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The Town Council explained that officers would need to review their legal agreement with BT to “check for any conditions that prevent selling” the phone box, before adding that it may take “several months for us to action further work on your enquiry” due to recruiting new staff.

Two years ago, councillors proposed moving the red phone box to either outside HSBC bank in High Street or Severn Square, with it being used to house a defibrillator, leaflets, lending library, art display or phone charging facility.

A consultation to find out residents’ preferences for the potential use of the phone box began was held in June 2022.