Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director of Strategy, Performance and Governance (copy enclosed).

The Council considered the report of the Director of Strategy, Performance and Governance, presenting the recommendation of the Finance and Corporate Services Committee for consideration and additional information submitted by Essex County Council.

Members were advised that at its meeting on 25 September 2018 and following consideration of a report on Superfast Broadband in the Maldon District (attached as Appendix A) the Finance and Corporate Services Committee had recommended to the Council that:

the Council’s contribution of £45,000 over three years to contribute to the delivery of Phase 2a of the Superfast Essex Broadband Programme in the Maldon District be withdrawn.

Since consideration by the Finance and Corporate Services Committee, Essex County Council (ECC) had provided additional information to clarify the current position with the rollout of the Superfast Broadband programme in the Maldon District.  This information was attached as Appendix B to the report. 

Following a request by Maldon District Council Officers, ECC had submitted a draft Service Level Agreement (SLA) relating to the delivery of the programme in the Maldon District, based on the £45,000 funding agreed in 2016.  This was attached at Appendix C to the report.

The Director of Strategy, Performance and Governance outlined the report and highlighted a number of key points, including:

·                 Phase 2 of the project was scheduled to deliver 5,317 properties (a greater number than originally predicted in 2016) and of those 3,064 had been delivered, 539 were in delivery and 1,314 were yet to be started but would be delivered by December 2019.

·                 If Maldon District Council was to withdraw its £45,000 funding 931 of the remaining properties would be removed from the contract.

A debate ensued, during which a number of Members expressed concern at the recommendation of the Finance and Corporate Services Committee (F&CS) requesting that the Council remove its funding.  Specific concerns related to how:

·                 removal of 931 properties from the contract (should the Council agree the recommendation of the F&CS) would affect homes within the District, with specific reference made to Mayland, Steeple, Southminster, Tillingham, Woodham Walter, Woodham Mortimer and Langford.

·                 the Council’s contribution of £45,000 (originally negotiated down from £90,000) would release further funding from Central Government, which together would contribute towards funding the continued rollout of Phase 2 in the Maldon District.

Councillor D M Sismey, Chairman of the Finance and Corporate Services Committee provided Members with some background information which led to the unanimous recommendation from the F&CS.  He reported on the engagement with the County Council that had taken place since the F&CS meeting and how additional premises had been added and commitments confirmed.

Councillor Sismey then proposed that:

i)         the Council agrees to a contribution of £45,000 to fund faster rollout of superfast broadband by Essex County Council but subject to:

a)    the delivery of superfast broadband availability by ?31 December 2019 to all premises notified to Maldon District Council (MDC) by Essex County Council in recent communications

b)    Maldon District reaching the 94% coverage  ...  view the full minutes text for item 588