Agenda item

The Cabinet considered the Connecting Worcestershire Phase 3 Broadband Programme. The details were set out in the report.

In the ensuing debate, the following principal points were raised:

a)    The Cabinet Member for Economy and Infrastructure introduced the report. He commented that the Council was in receipt of new funding from Broadband Delivery UK and the European Regional Development Fund. In addition, the Council had been able to reinvest an underspend from previous allocated capital allocations. These funds would enable the Council to push broadband coverage beyond the current 95% of the County. He recognised that some areas were hard to reach so achieving 100% coverage was impossible but 96% coverage was achievable. The proposals were very important for the Council's Open for Business policy and would have a positive impact on children's education as well as for the care of older and vulnerable people. There were three options available for the reinvestment of the capital funds. Option 3 to use a combination of mechanisms was considered to be the best and most flexible option. For those hard to reach areas, it was recommended that a Community Fibre Partnership Support Fund be established. This Fund would require a contribution from the community to complement BT's scheme

b)    The attempts to introduce broadband for hard to reach areas was welcomed to help with digital inclusion and encourage different ways of working, for example, encouraging people to receive training in libraries and other venues to enable local people to use public access points/community internet hubs

c)    The Leader of the Council commented that the 95% broadband coverage target had been achieved but this next phase was intended to push coverage beyond that percentage. This Council was the only Council to set broadband connectivity as a business target. The policy had helped to boost productivity and create a successful local economy.

RESOLVED: that

a)    the progress to date of the Superfast Worcestershire Programme be noted as set out in Paragraphs 7-13 of the report and Appendix A;

b)    authority be delegated to the Director of Economy and Infrastructure, in consultation with the Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Economy and Infrastructure, to undertake evaluation of tenders for the Phase 3 Broadband contract and, subject to being satisfied as to value for money and fully securing external public funding, to (i) finalise and execute that contract, and (ii) to approve future potential change controls to ensure pace is maintained from contract award in Summer 2017 until the end of the contract;

c)    COUNCIL BE RECOMMENDED to add £2.6m to the Capital Programme for the purposes of Phase 3 of the Broadband Programme, the funding of which comes from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) £1.5m and European Regional Development fund c.£1.1m (ERDF);

d)    the Director of Economy and Infrastructure be authorised, in consultation with the Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Economy and Infrastructure, when the solution to Phase 3 is known, to reinvest the remaining underspend from the previously allocated £8.5m County Council capital funding and  up to £4m of Worcestershire County Council's proportion of further claw-back  from Phase 1 and Phase 2, if it becomes available, in accordance with Option 3 in the report; also to agree to entering required discussions with other public funding bodies with regard to their proportion of claw-back; and

e)    the Director of Economy and Infrastructure be authorised to take all necessary actions to progress the Broadband Programme.