Concerns have been raised about moving Newtown’s last remaining traditional red telephone box away from the town centre.

Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Town Councillors have been discussing plans to adopt the Grade II-listed structure and move it from its current location next to the Regent Cinema in Severn Place.

Cllr Richard Edwards, chair of the environment and economy committee, told a meeting of the council: “I think we have agreed we would like to move it because it’s not in a particularly useful place.

“It’s lovely to have red telephone box but pointless to leave it where no one can appreciate it because of its location.”

Ideas for the phone box include using it for arts events, marketing material or keeping a defibrillator.

Councillors have suggested alternative locations for the box, including Severn Street, Severn Square or in Newtown’s green spaces.

However, Cllr Joy Jones raised concerns at a meeting on Tuesday evening about where the red box will be moved.

She said that Newtown residents should be given the opportunity to have their say on the proposals.

“It is something special to the town,” she said. “I think it’s very important that it stays in the town because if we took everything out of the town and put it in another area, it wouldn’t be beneficial to bringing people into the town centre. We need to keep the town centre vibrant at all costs and for people to have somewhere to visit.

“There is a lot of generation in the town, and I am sure Powys County Council is willing to work with the town council. Otherwise, I think it needs to stay exactly where it is. We need to ask the whole public in Newtown what they feel about taking it from the town centre if that is the case to remove from the actual town centre.”

Cllr Edwards was keen to stress that a vote has not been made and that the committee is “very focussed on the town centre and keeping it alive and rebuilding it to make a place where people want to come”.