Member Article

Council's £300k bid to improve broadband

People who live or work in parts of East Cleveland are being urged to support plans to bring superfast broadband to the area.

Redcar and Cleveland Council is bidding for £300,000 in Government funding, for areas with poor internet connection, and needs to build its case.

The council is asking people to register their support for the partnership-bid to prove there is demand for improving services.

However, nobody is being asked to make any commitment to subscribe and the council is simply asking that people fill out a short form.

Christopher Massey, cabinet member for Redcar and Cleveland’s Environment and Rural Affairs, said: “Fast and reliable broadband is becoming a necessity for everyday life.

“It drives businesses, helps students with their education and underpins so many other services that rural communities could be missing out on.

“Nobody is being asked to sign up to broadband but if we do not get a strong response we could miss out on a fantastic opportunity.

“We have already had a great response from some East Cleveland communities and by helping us, these people are helping themselves.

“In Moorsholm, three in four people are supporting the bid, but in other communities the response has been as low as one in a hundred.

“Council officers are contacting local communities to ask for their help in obtaining as many support forms as possible.

“We need to get the message out to schools, businesses and community groups that they have the key to unlock this funding.”

This rural bid is in addition to the council’s participation in a major, national broadband improvement project.

The national project seeks to ensure that everyone can connect to basic broadband and 90 per cent of premises have superfast broadband, by 2016.

In reality it would mean very few individuals and organisations would have only basic broadband access in the borough.

The deadline for responses is September 27 and communities in the more remote parts of East Cleveland are being targeted.

Letters, with registration forms on the reverse, will be sent out by early September and can be returned in the postage-paid envelope provided or to any council office or library.

People can also register support by visiting www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/broadband

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .