1. Approved the remaining direct investment of £40,000 in shares to Broadband for Surrey Hills Ltd.
2. Approved a virement of £60,000 from the capital contingency fund to finance the purchase of the shares and provide a budget of £20,000 to support the costs of surveys, mapping and tracer wires required to provide free wayleaves for B4SH.
Reason:
Over the last three years, B4SH has connected over 200 households to ‘hyperfast’ or 1Gbps full symmetric fibre broadband in the Surrey Hills. As we explore and adopt new ways of working due to cultural shifts brought by the pandemic, it becomes increasingly important to ensure our rural communities have access to strong and secure broadband connections.
Other 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:
The Leader of the Council, Councillor Joss Bigmore declared a non-pecuniary interest with regard to item 7 of the agenda in that he held a shareholder investment in B4SH of £3000.
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