Lead Member – Mr Steve Charmley, Portfolio Holder for Business, ip&e and Commissioning (North).

Report of the Head of Business Growth and Prosperity is to follow.

Contact – Andy Evans – 01743 252503

(a)  That approval be given to the commencement of the Phase 2 procurement process using the BDUK Framework, to extend the coverage of fibre broadband in the Shropshire Council area (Option 3 set out in the report).

(b)  That authority be delegated to the Head of Economic Growth and Prosperity (Programme Executive), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Business Growth, ip&e, Culture and Commissioning (North) to define the value for money criteria to be used in evaluating the tender submission.

70.1    The Portfolio Holder for Business, ip&e, Culture and Commissioning (North) presented a report by the Head of Economic Growth and Prosperity – copy attached to the signed Minutes – on the various options available to the Council to provide fibre broadband to those areas that were currently not projected to get access to superfast broadband speeds (24Mbps+) as part of the Connecting Shropshire programme.  By the end of Phase 1 of the programme in 2016 approximately 87% of premises would have superfast broadband, with 93% estimated to obtain access to fibre based broadband.  Phase 2 of the BDUK programme aimed to cover 95% of premises in the UK by 2017 and provide 90% of premises in the Shropshire Council are with access to superfast broadband speeds.

70.2    RESOLVED:

(a)  That approval be given to the commencement of the Phase 2 procurement process using the BDUK Framework, to extend the coverage of fibre broadband in the Shropshire Council area (Option 3 set out in the report).

(b)  That authority be delegated to the Head of Economic Growth and Prosperity (Programme Executive), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Business Growth, ip&e, Culture and Commissioning (North) to define the value for money criteria to be used in evaluating the tender submission.