Representatives from BT and B4RN will be attending the meeting to provide updates.
An update report from the County Council will follow.
Minutes:
The Chairman welcomed Eddie Sutton, Assistant Director Lancashire County Council, Steve Edwards, BT and Barry Forde, B4RN to the meeting.
Steve Edwards began by giving an overview of the work BT was undertaking in Lancashire and nationally. In Lancashire, the County Council, working with BT had a target of providing superfast broadband to 97% of Lancashire reaching over 650,000 homes and businesses. This would be achieved using a mixture of technologies including fibre to the cabinet and fibre to the premises.
It was reported that there was a strong emphasis on business support with £3 million being available for a programme to support businesses in Lancashire. There was also an opportunity for money to be returned to the County Council if certain take-up targets were reached.
With regard to fibre installation, Members were advised that BT were currently working on White Lund Industrial Estate, Caton and Brookhouse. Work would commence in Carnforth shortly.
Barry Forde went on to give a presentation detailing the work B4RN had undertaken to date. It was reported that B4RN has been established as a Community Benefit Society which would see profits in the future ploughed back into the community rather than profiting share holders.
It was noted that B4RN had not received any public funding for the project. The project relied on local people digging trenches for the fibre optic cables to be laid. B4RN was installing fibre to the premises to all properties creating guaranteed superfast broadband speeds of 1GB.
The Committee were shown maps of where B4RN had completed its installation of broadband including Quernmore, Wray, Over Wyresdale and Arkholme where take up was 96%. Work would be commencing in Caton, Tatham and Gressingham shortly.
It was agreed that B4RN would circulate details of the postcodes that were covered by the project.
Eddie Sutton concluded by giving Members an overview of the County Council’s involvement in the two broadband projects. The importance of providing the best superfast broadband for the people of Lancashire and empowering local businesses was emphasised.
With regard to the rural villages in the Lancaster district, it was reported that the County Council could not instruct BT to enter these areas at present until the Government had given a ruling on this to Lancashire County Council.
The County Council advised that it was supporting B4RN in applying for funding but it was not yet clear if B4RN was eligible to apply.
Members of the Committee asked a number of questions including the concerns brought to light by the recent Select Committee Report on Rural Broadband, the community fund, the pilot scheme, B4RN’s funding, the community benefits from B4RN, BT’s installation in Caton and a request for maps indicating the hard to reach areas of the district.
The Chairman gave invited guests the opportunity to address the Committee, discuss issues of local concern or answer questions.
It was proposed by Councillor Dennison and seconded by Councillor Parkinson :
That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee :
1.Request that BT as soon as possible, produces a clear roll out programme for its superfast broadband in the Lancaster District to enable other providers to work in areas not covered by the BT programme.
2.Request Lancashire County Council to seek immediate permission of BT to provide a clear statement of the terms of their joint agreement.
3.Requests the removal from any future rural broadband contracts with BT that are on a non-disclosure agreement basis to facilitate openness and transparency.
4.Expresses its concern that a large amount of publicly funded infrastructure to facilitate improved rural broadband may be handed over to a single company, without the necessary measures being in place to ensure open and competitive access to other providers. (This may well lead to a rural/urban divide where more remote areas have to pay extra for a single supplier, where urban areas achieve lower costs because of effective competition. This will place these rural areas at a commercial disadvantage and would appear to negate the reason for extending public monies to achieve an equitable and economical level of service.)
5.Expresses its concern that the amount of expenditure by local authorities appears to have risen considerably at a time of severe economic pressure whereas the contributions from BT appear to have fallen. It is also a matter of concern that the costs related to the Northern Ireland programme also provided by BT appear to be considerably cheaper than the costs in mainland UK. Action should be taken by national and local government with BT to address this imbalance.
6.That, once the County Council has received a decision from the Government as to whether BT can enter the areas B4RN has reached, this decision is circulated to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
7. That the County Council in consultation with BT and B4RN provide answers to the written questions submitted.
8. That B4RN circulate details of the postcodes that were covered by the project.
Upon being put to the vote, 6 Members voted in favour of the proposition, 1 voted against and 1 abstained from voting whereupon the Chairman declared the proposition to be carried.
Resolved :-
That the actions as set out above be agreed.