Agenda item - Funding for Superfast Broadband

(Technology & Support Services Portfolio Holder/Asset Management & Economic Development Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-014-2014/15).

(1) That a bid in the sum of £84,000 be included in the draft Capital Programme for 2015/16 to co-fund the investment in superfast broadband infrastructure and achieve 95% coverage in the District;

(2) That a letter be written to the Chief Executive of Essex County Council to confirm the Council was minded to support the Superfast Essex broadband programme and a bid in the maximum sum of £84,000 had been provisionally agreed, subject to the approval of the Council’s budget in February 2015;

(3) That a Technology & Support Services Portfolio Holder Advisory Group be established, with the support of officers as required, to work through the potential District priorities for this investment and recommend the Council’s preferred options, in so far as they were practical and in discussion with Essex County Council and suppliers;

(4) That the composition of the Technology & Support Services Portfolio Holder Advisory Group be seven Members on a pro-rata basis with Group Leaders requested to make suitable nominations;

(5) That, to inform the discussions of the Portfolio Holder Advisory Group, an exercise be undertaken to determine both the current levels of coverage and current levels and types of demand for enhanced broadband provision and access throughout the District;

(6) That, to further inform the discussions of the Portfolio Holder Advisory Group, additional advice be sought from Essex County Council as to the likely timescales for completion of the rollout of superfast broadband and the implications for the remaining 5% of the District which would remain without superfast broadband once the 95% target had been achieved;

(7) That the preferred options of the Portfolio Holder Advisory Group be submitted to the Cabinet for adoption, with Essex County Council to be subsequently notified of the Council’s adopted priorities for the investment of the agreed funding in the sum of £84,000; and

(8) That the process for prioritising the investment of non-district matched funds to achieve 93% coverage across Essex be clarified with Essex County Council and opportunities to be involved in that process be identified to ensure the Council’s agreed priorities also be considered as part of that investment programme.

The Portfolio Holder for Technology & Support Services presented a report on funding for the Superfast Essex broadband programme.

The Portfolio Holder reported that the current Superfast Essex broadband programme, representing an investment of £24.6million in broadband infrastructure in areas where commercial suppliers were not planning to invest over the next three years, if at all, would make superfast broadband available to 87.4% of home and business premises in Essex by the summer of 2016. In April 2014, the Government announced a further £10.62million would be made available to Essex through the Broadband Delivery UK programme, provided it was matched locally. The funds matched by Essex County Council would enable coverage of 93% of the county to be achieved. Essex County Council had appealed to the District Councils to consider contributing additional match funding in order to enable coverage of 95% to be achieved.

The Portfolio Holder stated that Epping Forest District Council was being asked to provide funding in the sum of £84,000 to enable 95% coverage in the District. Without the investment by the Council, 93% coverage would still be achieved, the extra monies would enable an extra 2% of hard to reach areas to be covered. Subject to the recommendation that a bid be made for this investment, the District Council would also need to assess levels of demand across the District and work towards the identification and adoption of the Council’s priorities for how this funding was invested and inform discussions with Essex County Council as to how and where the investment would take place. For this, it was felt that the establishment of a Portfolio Holder Advisory Group would be appropriate.

The Essex County Council Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth & Infrastructure addressed the Cabinet and welcomed their consideration of a bid in the sum of £84,000 to co-fund the investment from the Superfast Essex programme. The extension of the programme, following further funding from the Government, the County Council and suppliers would enable 95% of the County to be covered; regrettably, there were some areas in Essex where it was impossible to lay the necessary fibre optic cables. The establishment of a Portfolio Holder Advisory Group was supported, and the contribution to the Programme being considered by the District Council would help the local economy.

The Cabinet welcomed the report and felt that the extension of superfast broadband throughout the District would bring a number of advantages, including more social inclusion in rural areas, local businesses better able to compete in the global market, and greater assistance for home workers. In response to questions raised by the Cabinet, the Portfolio Holder confirmed that the membership of the Group would be on a pro rata basis between the different political groupings, notes of the meetings would be published via the Committee Management System for Members to access, meetings of the Group would be advertised in the Council Bulletin and all Members would be able to attend meetings of the Group if they so desired.

Decision: