Decision details
Implementing the Cabinet Member Decision “Fastershire Terms of Extension 2019” 18/12/19
Decision Maker: Assistant director Corporate Support (Historic)
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Purpose:
The Fastershire project works across
Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to commission a broadband network
where commercial providers will not invest. Capital funding is
provided by The County of Herefordshire District Council
(“Herefordshire Council”), Gloucestershire County
Council and national Government via BDUK. Herefordshire Council is
the lead authority. The total percentage of premises with superfast
broadband in Herefordshire is currently 91% which is set to
increase with contracted delivery.
The decision made by cabinet member on 18th December 2019 contained
this following recommendation:
£1.8m of additional subsidy is used to extend the scope of
the Gigaclear contracts (subject to state aid approval), in order
to extend the full fibre broadband network to no less than 5,485
extra premises of which at least 872 premises do not currently
receive superfast broadband.
To deliver on the recommendation, a contract variation is needed
which will cover the new premises and the financial contribution
from the Fastershire project.
Consultations have taken place with the National Competency Centre
(the national authority on state aid who advise BDUK and who
provide the state aid approval on which the above decision was
dependent). This process has led to a revision of the contractible
figures as follows:
• £250k reduction in the public sector subsidy
required
• £190k increase in the private sector
contribution
• Reduction in the contractible number of premises to 1,718
which include 835 of the 872 premises that do not have a superfast
capability and which were the primary target of the original
decision.
The difference in superfast premises between 835 now being reached
and the 872 in the recommendation is revised deployment design and
associated reduced cost of public sector subsidy.
The total premise figure is not a contracted amount but incidental
build by Gigaclear as part of their deployment. In the decision of
December 2019 that was stated as 5,485 and as part of the redesign
stands at 5,348 - this difference is accounted for in that premises
having coverage with those premises already reached.
Contact: Natalia Silver, Service Director - Corporate Services Email: nsilver@herefordshire.gov.uk Tel: 01432260732.
Publication date: 31/07/2020
Date of decision: 31/07/2020
Accompanying Documents: