Shropshire Star

Broadband to boost business in Telford

Improved broadband in Telford will make the town more attractive to businesses, councillors have said.

Published

Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet has approved plans to apply for £2 million to bring broadband of 24 megabits per second to 96 per cent of homes.

The council is set to apply for the cash from the Government's Broadband Delivery UK fund.

It will ensure that home users of the internet will be able to download films and access the internet at an instant.

And it will further enhance Telford's claim to be one of the UK's fastest growing towns for new businesses.

If the application is successful, the broadband could roll-out across the borough as early as Spring 2015.

Councillor Bill McClements, cabinet member for finance, told last night's meeting: "There are weak areas in broadband coverage in some of our industrial sites which needs to be improved.

"Nationally, Telford & Wrekin Council is already one of the best in the country for broadband speeds.

"There are gaps in it, and this will cover virtually all of the borough.

"This will help make it the council area with the best broadband coverage in the county."

Parts of Telford already have fast broadband, although service in the borough's rural areas is patchy.

Councillor Andrew Eade, who leads the opposition Conservative group, told the meeting held at the AFC Telford Learning Centre yesterday (JUL 24) will help local businesses across the area.

He said: "This is of great benefit right across the borough.

"It is right that we should be borrowing to support this.

"Rural businesses as well are dependant on this.

"Telford will be in a much better position to compete and it will give people much better service on the internet."

In order to secure the £2m funding allocation, Telford & Wrekin Council will need to match fund the sum and said it has already made £1.4 million available.

The total costs of delivering the scheme are estimated to be £200,000 so the council's total contribution if successful would be £2.2m.

The council will submit a bid for the balance of funding to the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, although a decision is not expected for several months.

If the bid is unsuccessful, the council will either ask for the amount it is able to match fund or borrow the remaining £800,000. Cabinet moved to approve that borrowing if it is needed.

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