Local Superfast Broadband

Interesting news for all those anxiously awaiting news of Superfast Broadband in the area and when it will arrive in Audlem where we have had reports of the cabling being installed but as yet no firm news on when it will actually arrive.

Park View Business Centre located on the Combermere Estate between Nantwich and Whitchurch on the A530, has successfully introduced Superfast broadband into its rural based offices.

The new fibre optic link, available after private investment, currently provides connectivity of 50Mbs – as good as any city or urban location.

Peter Beckett, CEO of Park View Business Centre says: "The introduction of superfast broadband is vital to sustainable rural business expansion. Businesses want speed and reliability to compete in the 21st century. We are simply responding to demands from our existing as well as potential new tenants.

"It became clear that this area of South Cheshire* would miss out on BT's Infinity roll-out programme. Also, dealings with Connecting Cheshire, for DEFRA support via the Rural Broadband Community Fund, have also failed to deliver any firm dates or positive outcome.

"The opportunity to achieve the best connectivity in a timely way was by pursuing an initiative with Netserve (via the Fibrespeed network) and by making the financial commitment ourselves.'

Park View Business Centre has just completed a third phase of development bringing the total number of offices to 27 since it opened three years ago. The site offers excellent transport access, free car parking, quality design throughout the converted brick farm barns, communal reception and a shared meeting room.

Tina Hayward, Park View's administrator comments that "current tenant businesses cover a diverse range of sectors – from independent start-ups, to communications businesses and agricultural services.

"We anticipate a growth of more small and medium sized companies using us in the near future and further information is available on www.parkviewbusinesscentre.co.uk. There is definitely a buzz about the place".

Park View add that most businesses, whatever their size, rely on good quality high-speed internet service, and rural areas find themselves disadvantaged as the BT monopoly expects a very substantial and unrealistic % of the investment to come from the public purse. Unreliable internet is one of the main reasons businesses reject rural offices, even though all the other factors are very attractive.

Sarah Callander-Beckett, owner of the Combermere Estate and member of the local Parish Council hopes that once the system is successfully bedded in, ways to benefit the wider community can be explored.

*As reported on AudlemOnline last year, while much of Audlem, Hankelow and Coxbank are included in the main BT roll-out, Sandy Lane and Bath Lane, Bagley Lane, Woodhouse Lane, Kettle Lane, Wood Orchard Lane and Paddock Lane, Woore Road (from Paddock Lane eastwards), Longhill Lane (from Woore Road to Monks Lane) and Bunsley Bank plus Buerton and Burleydam were not.

All of these areas are the subject of a Rural Community Broadband Fund bid which was submitted to Defra by Connecting Cheshire in October. If successful it is likely that SFBB would be installed to these areas at the end of the programme.

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