Agenda item

The Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Commercial Strategy introduced the report and gave a detailed presentation on the proposals.  Points covered in the presentation included:

·         How the roll out of Connecting Devon and Somerset would work

·         Other incentivised schemes

·         Complications

·         Rough figures for South Somerset

·         Collaboration Agreement benefits

·         The rationale for contributing to the Connecting Devon and Somerset superfast broadband rollout

It was agreed that a copy of the presentation slides would be circulated to members.

During the discussion, members made the following comments:

·         Some premises included on the map were located in areas where BT had taken a commercial decision not yet to enable a cabinet due to development about to occur.  There were also cabinets in other areas that were known to be coming forward.

·         Premises could be eligible for funding through the Universal Service Obligation.

·         Concerns over the commitment to deliver and the number of premises that would be rolled out.

·         The recommendation in the report did not reflect an in principle decision.

·         It was important for properties to have a decent broadband connection particularly those in hard to reach areas.

·         There was too much uncertainty in the report to make a decision.

In response, the Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Commercial Strategy confirmed the following:

·         The opportunity to formally join the Connecting Devon & Somerset programme was time limited and therefore an immediate decision in principle was required.

·         The numbers published in the report were official and published in the Open Market Review consultation.

·         The money would be spent in South Somerset and more premises would be connected as a result.

·         There was no clarity on the rollout of the Universal Service Obligation whereas Connecting Devon and Somerset was a firm programme that would definitely proceed within an agreed timescale.

·         The 12,500 premises included residential and business premises that would be unlikely to receive superfast broadband unless they were part of the subsidised roll out.

The Lead Specialist for Economy reiterated that the numbers outlined in the report were not precise but were the most accurate numbers available at this time.  He confirmed that the Open Market Review process was designed to identify any areas of inaccuracy.

Members noted that the comments raised by the Scrutiny Committee had been answered by the Portfolio Holder and Officers at the meeting.

At the conclusion of the debate, a proposal was made to approve the recommendation outlined in the report subject to the inclusion of the Leader of the Council under recommendation 3.  A vote was taken and the proposal was lost.

Following a further discussion, it was then agreed by the majority of members not to contribute financially to Connecting Devon and Somerset at this time for the following reasons:

·         The absence of clarity in respect of some of the information.

·         The impact of the General Election on the decision timeframes required by Connecting Devon and Somerset.

·         The impact of the Universal Service Obligation.