E-mail sent on behalf of Councillor Lynden Stowe, Leader of Cotswold District Council:
Dear Clerk/Chairman
The need for faster and more reliable broadband across the whole of the Cotswolds was the main topic discussed at the town/parish liaison meetings late last year.
It is acknowledged that we live in an age where people need reliable faster broadband access – residents want to enjoy the freedom of accessing a wide range of public and private sector online services at times to suit their needs and from the comfort of their homes; school children are being asked to use the internet for homework assignments and to broaden their knowledge and IT skills; and businesses can compete more successfully and perhaps even expand when they are supported by cutting edge digital technology.
That said, upgrading to faster broadband is not easy in rural areas like the Cotswolds – our District covers over 450 square miles and this means that, despite technological advances in some areas, we are still hampered by ‘dead zones’ and sluggish speeds in far too many locations.
With this in mind, as part of our budget deliberations for 2016/17, I proposed that the District Council should make available £500,000 from capital reserves to expedite the roll-out of broadband across the District. The proposal was well-received, especially as it was based on a commitment from the County Council to match-fund our contribution, thereby providing a sum of £1m to help push the coverage already achieved/planned through the Fastershire Broadband Project, much wider and far quicker.
CDC has not only pledged this additional funding, but has also established a cross-party Broadband Working Group to assist the roll-out and drive forward the project to enable it to reach a successful conclusion as soon as possible.
To assist the Working Group in its task, and in order to help establish a priority work schedule, we would like to hear from you – please tell us about any specific problems or needs in your local areas, difficulties being experienced, and any initiatives or attempts to secure solutions (either in the past or on-going).
You may find it helpful to first check on the intended timing of any works already scheduled in your area – you can use the following link to access the Fastershire website:-
http://www.fastershire.com/where-when
Please send your feedback to Nigel Adams ( nigel.adams@cotswold.gov.uk ) as soon as possible; and, ideally, by 1stJuly 2016. We look forward to receiving your comments; and I thank you in advance for your contribution to helping CDC secure much needed improvements for our communities.
Kind regards
Councillor Lynden Stowe
Leader of Cotswold District Council
