Decision details

Decision:

(1)       That the Council invests the initial sum of £10,000 in Broadband for Surrey Hills Ltd., as described in the report submitted to the Executive.

(2)       That the Council agrees, as a landowner, to provide free wayleaves where B4SH fibre crosses its land, as other landowners have done in support of their communities.

Reason:

This is an opportunity to support a community-led initiative having a mainly social benefit for those parts of the Borough that are currently poorly served by broadband connectivity. Full symmetric fibre broadband will hasten delivery of the Government’s Industrial Strategy as set out in The Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review,create the conditions for the economic transformation of our local rural communities, and facilitate many of the Strategic Priority Objectives set out in the Action and Delivery Plans of the Rural Economic Strategy 2017-2022.

Alternative options considered and rejected by the Executive:

None

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None