Shropshire gets go-ahead for broadband plan

Work to bring superfast broadband to more areas of Shropshire has taken a step forward after the Government approved the plans.

The Government has given £8.2 million to support the project, and now the organisation coordinating the £530 million Government project – BDUK (Broadband Delivery UK) – has given its backing to the local delivery plan.

That means Shropshire Council can now go ahead with approaching a private partner to put the plan into action.

It is acknowledged that up to £30 million may be needed to provide all households with the accepted minimum of broadband coverage (2 mbps per second) and get as many as possible connected to superfast broadband.

Shropshire Council is investing around £8.2 million in match-funding to the project – partly in capital funding towards the overall target, and partly to help drive forward the project itself.

The council is also lobbying BT and other companies from the private sector to make improvements now.

Leader of Shropshire Council, Keith Barrow, said:

“This is fantastic news and means work can start on really improving broadband for people in Shropshire.  I would like to praise our Cabinet member, Martin Taylor-Smith, and the officers involved for all their hard work in getting this plan approved.”

Councillor Martin Taylor-Smith, Cabinet member responsible for ICT, said:

“We are delighted to get the go-ahead from the Government, and I know representatives from BDUK have been impressed with the level of detail in our local delivery plan, as well as the clear commitment from the council, which stands us in good stead to improve the broadband network in Shropshire.

“Having access to good quality broadband is hugely important for residents, and particularly businesses, so we feel it’s our duty as a council to do what we can to improve the situation.  Improving broadband in Shropshire is a challenge for everyone, not just the council, and we are working incredibly hard on improving coverage in rural areas, and that includes lobbying BT to improve its infrastructure in the county.”

A team of councillors and officers, including Shropshire’s MPs, met with the Minister for Culture, Communications and the Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey, and representatives from BDUK earlier this week to present Shropshire’s plan of action.

That meeting was extremely positive, and was followed by the announcement on Thursday (26 January 2012) that BDUK has approved the plan.

Announcing the latest plans for approval, Mr Vaizey said:

“Britain needs fast broadband to drive economic growth and connect remote communities.  We are making a significant investment in taking broadband to those homes and businesses currently missing out on decent Internet access. 

“I have been impressed by the enthusiasm the majority of councils have shown for seizing the opportunity to rollout superfast broadband.”

Now work is starting apace, and one of the important parts of the project is demonstrating that people want better broadband provision in Shropshire, so residents and businesses are being urged to complete a survey about their current situation.

The survey can be found on the project’s website at: www.connectingshropshire.co.uk or by calling Shropshire Council on 01743 252598, or emailing: connecting.shropshire@shropshire.gov.uk