After nearly six years, Saltford Parish Council (SPC) is proud to announce the successful completion of its Norman Road Phone Box Project – a community-led transformation of a decommissioned red phone box into a vibrant local landmark, floral feature, and emergency lifesaving station.
What began in 2019 as a simple idea to adopt the kiosk from BT for £1 grew into a powerful testament to Saltford’s community spirit. After delays caused by the pandemic, by late 2021 SPC had tendered to have the phone box repainted and repositioned – only for the complete destruction of the original phone box in a road traffic accident in early 2022.
However SPC remained committed to its vision and in time sourced a refurbished K6 phone box to replace the one that had stood at Norman Road for many decades.
Thanks to generous support throughout from local business The Mobius Group, led by Founder & CEO Lee Bignell, when SPC purchased the refurbished in 2023 the team at Mobius prepared a new base and oversaw its installation entirely for free. Lee also gave his expert advice and support for the remainder of the project.
During the summer of 2023 the team at Flourish Foodhall and Kitchen created planters for the new phone box, and filled them with beautiful flowers as a gift to the Saltford community. Ever since, the flowers have been regularly tended by Mary who lives nearby, and Flourish replaces the flowers every six months.
An emergency bleed kit was added by SPC in December 2024, as part of a wider SPC project to install five bleed kits around the village.
Finally, and with huge thanks to the Landlord and team at The Crown in Saltford pub, the project culminated in summer 2025 with the addition of a battery-powered defibrillator as funded and maintained by The Crown in Saltford. The defibrillator, and bleed kit, are accessible to the public at all times and registered on national networks for use by the emergency services also. Jon Godfrey, in a personal capacity, will recharge the defibrillator batteries for free using solar power.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Saltford community – especially The Mobius Group, Flourish Food Hall and Kitchen, and The Crown in Saltford – along with the efforts of SPC, the majority of the costs for the Norman Road Phone Box Project have been covered through insurance and delivered at minimal cost to residents via the Parish precept.
Cllr Jon Godfrey, Chair of Saltford Parish Council and lead of the Phone Box Project Working Group, said:
“This project shows what’s possible when a community works together. It’s now place of nature, heritage, and potentially lifesaving importance – all thanks to the incredible generosity of Saltford businesses. Thanks also to Mary, whose dedicated volunteering keeps the flowers in bloom – as enjoyed by both residents and everyone passing through Saltford”.
Today, the red phone box on Norman Road stands as more than a nostalgic relic – it’s a symbol of local pride, partnership, and purpose.
Read on for the full story!
Group photo to mark the end of the project! Taken 5 August 2025: L-R: Lottie – The Crown in Saltford; Rosie Crocker – Marketing & Events Manager, Flourish Foodhall and Kitchen; SPC Cllr Phil Harding; Anita Bignell – Support Services Director, Mobius; Mary Stoate – resident and volunteer; SPC Chair Cllr Jon Godfrey; and SPC Cllr Paul Smith.
Saltford PC adopts Norman Road phone box to preserve piece of Saltford’s history
On a warm summer’s day in 2019, B&NES Ward Cllr Duncan Hounsell met with Saltford Parish Council’s Clerk to discuss an opportunity concerning a familiar local feature – the red phone box located at the junction of Norman Road and the A4 Bath Road.
Like many BT phone boxes across the country, this K6 style kiosk had seen a significant decline in use due to the widespread adoption of mobile phones. Cllr Hounsell shared that with only a small number of calls being made from it each year, he had been made aware that BT had scheduled it – along with others in the B&NES Council area – for decommissioning and removal.
According to long-time Saltford residents, the K6 red phone box at Norman Road had stood at this location for many decades. The Norman Road phone box was of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s iconic design, created to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V’s coronation in 1935. Around 60,000 of these distinctive kiosks were installed across the UK between 1936 and 1968. As only one of two red phone boxes remaining in the village, the one at Norman Road had become a much-loved part of Saltford’s streetscape.
Cllr Hounsell advised that once decommissioned the kiosk would be eligible for adoption instead of removal by BT, as part of BT’s ‘Adopt a Kiosk’ scheme which was open to Parish Councils.
There had been precedent for Saltford PC taking similar action. In 2017, Saltford PC had adopted the red phone box at the corner of High Street and The Shallows, having recognised its heritage value to the village. Saltford PC had since utilised its potential for alternative use, and following a community project – led by the then- Saltford PC Chair, Cllr Chris Warren, and as supported by many residents and businesses – it had been relocated, and now hosted a defibrillator as funded and maintained by The Bird pub.
Saltford Parish Council recognised that the loss of the Norman Road phone box would be detrimental to the village’s character and identity. Saltford PC Councillors viewed that a similar project to the High Street phone box project could take place, to enhance the one at Norman Road as an asset in the community. Saltford PC made enquiries with BT about their ‘Adopt a Kiosk’ scheme, and Councillors agreed to have the matter on an upcoming agenda.
At Saltford PC’s October 2019 meeting, it considered BT’s application (ref: 19/03146/CONSLT) for the removal of the payphone service. Saltford Parish Council resolved not to object to the withdrawal of the phone service but expressed a clear wish to B&NES Council (the Planning Authority) for the kiosk itself to remain in situ. Later at the meeting under a separate item, Saltford PC discussed and formally confirmed its intention to adopt the Norman Road phone box, which included authorising spend for the symbolic £1 adoption fee, along with a commitment for Saltford PC to fund its future maintenance.
Following Saltford PC’s October 20219 meeting, BT approved the Parish Council’s application to formally adopt the Norman Road phone box and subsequently in a smooth transaction the agreement signed. At this point, the Norman Road phone box became an asset of Saltford PC. As such, it was registered and insured as property of the Parish Council, to be held and cared for by Saltford PC on behalf of the Saltford community.
After a pandemic pause, restoration resumes with generous local support
At the time of its adoption, and as photos show, the Norman Road phone box was in a poor condition. Its many layers of paintwork were peeling, the glazing was scratched, and it leaned slightly off-centre… it was evident that restoration would be needed.
Image shows the original Norman Road phone box that had been situated on the corner of Norman Road and the A4 Bath Road for decades
Nevertheless, Saltford PC saw its potential – not just as a nostalgic reminder of the past, but as a valued asset that could continue to serve the community in a new role. Following its adoption, repainting, works to the base, and possible new glazing were considered.
Although Saltford PC had formally adopted the Norman Road phone box in late 2019, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 meant that its priorities rightly shifted to supporting the community through the challenges of the time. As a result, the Norman Road Phone Box Project was temporarily put on hold.
By July 2021, Saltford PC was once again able to move forward with the Norman Road Phone Box Project. It was decided that Phase One would focus on its restoration, and Phase Two on its new role in the community – with the aim of seeking support from a local business to fund and maintain a defibrillator as beyond the Parish Council’s funds and resource.
Saltford PC went out to tender for Norman Road phone box maintenance works (Phase 1) in December 2021, to seek a contractor to undertake the restoration. SPC had agreed to pay for its powder-coating (repainting) and any glazing requirements. However, not a single contractor came forward with a quote for the Parish Council to consider.
Whilst considering next steps, Saltford Parish Council was fortunate to receive an offer of generous support from Saltford resident Lee Bignell, Founder and CEO of The Mobius Group, a local business. To the surprise of Saltford PC, and highlighting the generosity of Lee and the team at Mobius, all base and installation works required were offered free of charge to the Parish Council.
This included transporting the phone box to be powder coated at a nearby town, the creation of a new base, and its transportation and reinstallation following its painting. This was all offered at no cost to Saltford PC or the Saltford community — a truly remarkable gesture that demonstrated this local business’s care and commitment to the village.
Photo showing the back of the original (leaning) Norman Road phone box – and the amount of work needed! The solid red side of the phone box had often been used for flyposting and its base needed levelling.
Around this time, the recently opened Flourish Farm Shop and Kitchen, located on the A4 Bath Road in Saltford, had also approached Saltford PC to support the project. Paul Castle, Managing Director, had on behalf of Flourish very kindly offered to create and plant flower displays on the phone box as a gift to the Saltford community, also free of charge. Saltford PC gladly welcomed the offer by Flourish, and made the decision to remove the glass panels so that flower boxes could be installed on the kiosk.
Finally, a local business had offered to fund, install and maintain a defibrillator on the exterior on the phone box once the restoration works had been completed.
Due to this commitment of support by local businesses, by early 2022 exciting plans to restore and repurpose the much-loved Norman Road phone box were well underway. With a shared vision with Saltford PC for transforming the tired looking Norman Road phone box into something truly special – complete with floral displays and a community-accessible defibrillator – the project was finally generating real momentum.
The night the Norman Road phone box vanished…
But before any work could begin, a surprising phone call changed everything. On 15 February 2022, then-Chair of Saltford Parish Council, Cllr Chris Warren, received a call from Lee Bignell of Mobius with some shocking news: the phone box had disappeared.
Cllr Warren called the Parish Clerk, and each headed to the site immediately. Sadly, all that remained of the iconic red phone box – a fixture on Norman Road for decades – were barriers around the now-empty base showing signs of damage and a few traces of red paint on a nearby wall. No other trace remained, nor any sign of what had happened. Had it been taken?!
The scene residents woke up to – all that could be seen the morning after the night before, photo taken 15 February 2022
Understandably concerned and saddened at its loss, Saltford PC turned to social media to ask residents if they had seen anything. As to be expected in Saltford, and as those who live here know, the community rallied and were quick with information to share with the Parish Council. It soon became clear that Saltford PC’s Norman Road phone box had been destroyed in a road traffic accident overnight. Several people had come across the scene of a damaged car and the remains of the phone box soon after the incident had occurred. Fortunately, no one – to Saltford PC’s awareness – was injured. However the Norman Road phone box had been destroyed.
Residents who had seen emergency services at the scene helped fill in more details. When approached by SPC, the police and Avon Fire and Rescue later confirmed the incident. Due to the severity of the impact, the ownership information displayed inside the phone box had been hidden from view, which explained why Saltford Parish Council had not been contacted. A photo received a few days later showing the remains of the Norman Road phone box being removed from the site confirmed its poor state following the impact of the collision.
Saltford PC was sent this photo by one of the authorities who attended the incident, following the RTC in which it was destroyed. Photo taken early hours of 15 February 2022.
After all traces of the Norman Road phone box had been moved away, B&NES Council’s teams had quickly made a really thorough job of leaving the area of pavement safe, leaving barely a trace of the dramatic incident during the night before. All that remained for several months were barriers around the remains of its base, marking where it had once stood.
A new chapter: Saltford PC and Mobius work together to replace a village icon
Although the loss of the original phone box was sad for both the Parish Council and many residents, the spirit of the project remained very much alive. Saltford Parish Council decided to press on with the plans and, thanks to a successful insurance claim, could being the process of sourcing a replacement.
At its December 2022 meeting, Saltford Parish Council agreed to purchase a refurbished K6 red phone box – the classic British design – to replace the much-loved original that once stood on Norman Road. To ensure quality and authenticity, the new (to Saltford!) phone box was ordered from the only BT-approved supplier.
Although the replacement was a classic K6 design, Saltford PC requested a slightly rarer configuration, so that the solid red side of the phone box faced away from the highway and instead towards nearby buildings. This was in-part to help reduce flyposting and paintwork damage, which had previously been an ongoing issue. Though meaning a longer wait, Saltford PC ordered a configuration that would have all three glazed sides facing Norman Road and the A4 Bath Road, and with glazing removed (glazing kits can be purchased retrospectively if required).
The order was placed before the end of the year. It took a few months for the phone box to be prepared to Saltford PC’s specifications and delivered, but it was worth waiting for and plans were well in place by the time it arrived.
To help bring the project to life both quickly and cost-effectively, local company Mobius once again stepped up with a generous offer to carry out all installation work free of charge. This included preparing the base ahead of delivery, overseeing its delivery from Newark, and completing all on-site installation once the phone box had arrived in spring 2023.
The team at Mobius prepare the new base for the phone box before delivery
Saltford Parish Council is incredibly grateful to Lee Bignell and the Mobius team for their support and generosity at this crucial stage of the project, without which would have been incredibly difficult for Saltford PC to have achieved – and all at no cost to our community.
The new phone box arrives! All the way from Newark, with Mobius present to install. (Photo curtesy of Cllr Phil Harding)
Flowers and Flourish: Local business and residents keep the phone box blooming
Residents, particularly those living nearby who had grown used to seeing the familiar red phone box from their windows, were delighted to see this iconic piece of street furniture return to its rightful place at the corner of the A4 Bath Road and Norman Road.
For just a few short weeks, the kiosk stood bare while Flourish took measurements to design bespoke hanging planters for the open window spaces. By early summer 2023, Flourish at Glenavon Farm had designed bespoke flower displays especially for the Norman Road phone box.
Bare but beautiful! Installation complete, standing straight on the recently installed base. Base and installation overseen by Mobius. The backboard can be seen facing away from the highway in the new configuration chosen by Saltford PC
Soon twelve beautifully planted hanging planters – placed where the windows would have been – adorned the phone box, creating a vibrant and eye-catching feature enjoyed by both residents and the thousands who travel daily through Saltford on the A4.
Flourish had kindly offered to provide seasonal displays to be updated every six months, entirely free of charge, as a gift to the community from Flourish.
A special thanks at this stage also goes to Mary, a dedicated local resident who, with help from her husband Nigel, since summer 2023 has regularly tended and watered the flowers to keep them looking their best year-round. As a token of appreciation, once the flower boxes were in Flourish treated Mary to a voucher for their popular food hall café. Mary has more recently been publicly thanked at Saltford PC and Saltford Community Association’s ‘Big Thank You’ 2025 event, as attended by over 100 residents, in acknowledgement for her care and commitment.
With both the phone box and flowers in place, to mark the end of Phase 1 of the Norman Road Phone Box Project a celebratory photo was taken of those involved in the project to date and shared with the community.
Photo taken summer 2023 following installation and flower displays, showing L-R: SPC Chair Jon Godfrey, Anita Bignell of The Mobius Group, and Marina of Flourish Foodhall and Kitchen
Life saving equipment installed: Final project phase complete due to generosity of The Crown
With the restored red phone box now back in place and its colourful flower display brightening up the busy A4 Bath Road, the final step in the Norman Road Phone Box Project was to install a defibrillator (AED) for public use. When the phone box was installed, new ‘Defibrillator’ signs were added to the top to reflect its intended purpose. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the arrival of the defibrillator was delayed much longer than expected. As a result, the signs had to be temporarily covered until the equipment could be installed.
Photo of beautiful summer blooms provided by Flourish, with the defibrillator signs covered temporarily to avoid any confusion)
While Saltford Parish Council (SPC) had committed funds to the overall project and received support from Flourish and Mobius, unfortunately by the time that the replacement phone box was ready for Phase 2, the original business that had offered to fund and maintain a defibrillator was no longer able to do so.
Thankfully, Carl Say, Landlord of The Crown in Saltford, quickly stepped in and generously offered to fund and maintain both the defibrillator and its cabinet on SPC’s Norman Road phone box. As Landlord of The Crown pub situated further along the A4 Bath Road from the phone box, he recognised the importance of having life-saving emergency equipment available along this busy route between Bath and Bristol, as well as the valuable benefit it could offer to the many residents living nearby.
Phase 2 of the project seemed back on track! However, another significant hurdle was encountered: after the destruction of the original kiosk, the electricity supply to the site had been permanently disconnected. At that time, most outdoor defibrillator cabinets still required mains power. SPC spent the remainder of 2023 and 2024 in discussions with the National Grid and other energy providers to find a solution – supported by Mobius, who offered helpful advice throughout – but unfortunately, reconnecting the supply proved unfeasible.
It was at this stage Cllr Jon Godfrey, Saltford PC Chair, and supported by two other Saltford PC Councillors, formed the Phone Boxes Working Group. Cllr Jon Godfrey identified an alternative: a battery-powered defibrillator. In a personal capacity, Jon researched options and sourced suitable rechargeable batteries to support an outdoor defibrillator cabinet. Looking forward, and again in a personal capacity, Jon also offered to recharge the batteries regularly at no cost to SPC, using solar energy.
With the technical challenges finally solved, by spring 2025 The Crown in Saltford ordered the defibrillator.
Meanwhile, SPC had also been working with the Avon Bleed Kit Partnership to improve availability and access to emergency Bleed Kits in Saltford. As part of this initiative, SPC funded and installed a Bleed Kit at the Norman Road phone box in December 2024, along with five others around the village (which included on its phone box at The Bird).
In July 2025, The Crown’s battery powered defibrillator and cabinet was installed, with news shared on social media to much positivity from residents. The Norman Road Phone Box Project – as first envisioned back in 2019, only better – was finally complete!
The defibrillator at The Norman Road phone box has been registered by The Crown in Saltford on The Circuit, the UK’s national defibrillator network used by NHS ambulance services. SPC’s Bleed Kit is also registered and visible on the HeartSafe Bleed Kit map.
July 2025: Replacement phone box and base, defibrillator and cabinet, bleed kit, and flowers!
More than just a phone box: A testament to Saltford’s spirit
The story of the Norman Road phone box is a perfect example of Saltford’s strong community spirit: even in the face of several setbacks, SPC, businesses and residents have worked together to create something meaningful for everyone to enjoy.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Saltford community – especially The Mobius Group, Flourish Food Hall and Kitchen, and The Crown in Saltford – the majority of the remaining costs for the Norman Road Phone Box Project have been covered through insurance and delivered at minimal cost to residents via the Parish precept.
Cllr Jon Godfrey, Chair of SPC and leader of the Phone Box Project Working Group, said following the end of the project: ‘It’s fantastic to see key local businesses working together to help the community, and contributing to the defibrillator network is one of the most impactful ways they can make a difference. This project has truly been a community effort, showcasing the generosity, spirit, and pride that makes Saltford such a special place’.
After nearly six years – and as on many Parish Council agendas! – the Norman Road Phone Box Project has finally reached the finish line. What started as a simple conversation about adopting a decommissioned kiosk for £1 has grown into something far more meaningful.
Today, the restored red phone box stands not just as a part of our village’s rich heritage, but as a living example of what community spirit can achieve. Its colourful floral displays brighten the days of countless passers-by, while the defibrillator and bleed kit housed inside could one day help save a life.
It’s a small space with a big purpose – proof that when a community comes together, even ordinary things can be transformed into something purposeful, lasting, and loved by residents.
L-R: Lottie – The Crown in Saltford; Rosie Crocker – Marketing & Events Manager, Flourish Foodhall and Kitchen; SPC Cllr Phil Harding; Anita Bignell – Support Services Director, Mobius; Mary Stoate – resident and volunteer; SPC Chair Cllr Jon Godfrey; and SPC Cllr Paul Smith.
Note:
The Mobius Group – https://www.mobiusgroup.co.uk/
Flourish Foodhall and Kitchen – https://www.flourish-group.co.uk/
The Crown in Saltford – https://thecrowninsaltford.com/