Issue - meetings

To consider any deputation requests. The deadline for the receipt of deputation requests is midnight Wednesday 14 June 2017.

The deputation request had not been circulated five clear days in advance of the meeting. The chair agreed to accept as urgent as the request had been received in line with the constitutional deadline for the receipt of deputation requests.

RESOLVED:

  That the deputation request be received.

Rotherhithe Broadband Group

The deputation addressed the meeting explaining the background behind the set up of the group and the aim to address the poor broadband received in many urban areas. The group expressed their support for the recommendations in the report, with the hope that the council approach would not delay any other service provider coming forward to deliver proposals for a fibre network.

The group explained that the Digital Economy Act sets out a universal obligation of 10mbps in the UK by 2020, which it is felt without substantial investment would not be achieved in Rotherhithe. It was felt that a community owned and manged network would be able to deliver this to the people of Rotherhithe.

In addition, the group suggested that there are other actions that could be followed, working with the MP and other affected areas and councils including:

·  Lobbying the Mayor of London

·  Lobbing the Government to recognise that urban areas, including parts of London have not-spots

·  Seeking agreement from the EU for state aid approval to address the not-spots

·  The Chancellor in his autumn statement stated that he would offer local authorities the chance to bid for a slice of funds to trial superfast 5G mobile networks, linking them to fibre-optic systems and when that prospectus is published it is hoped that Southwark would bid, focusing on Rotherhithe.

The impact on the local community was significant, including children’s  education, those with limited mobility and local businesses.

Cabinet thanked the deputation for their presentation.