Biddenden/Three Chimneys Rural Broadband: Community Update & Next Steps
This website has been created to keep residents fully updated on the local rural broadband scheme and to help you register your interest in participating in a future project.
Register NowPlease ensure you register your interest by June 30th, 2022, at the latest.
Residents LetterWhat’s Happened to the Original Scheme set-up in 2020?
- Sadly, the scheme has stalled due to a few factors.
- Openreach made an error in terms of the allocation of the actual properties included within the scheme.
- Angus Buchanan, who led the project, sadly passed away in a tragic accident.
Any Further Developments since then?
- Small residents committee formed within the Autumn of 2021 to re-kickstart the project.
- We received an offer from Openreach, of £421,073, to install the high-speed broadband infrastructure.
- We had hoped that a combination of national & local government grants would fully fund this.
- However, in March 2022 we were informed that £80,000 of these costs would not be covered by these grants, due to excessive build cost elements.
- In essence this would have required us, the residents to self-fund this area.
- The National Government grant scheme temporarily paused at the beginning of April 2022 and will not re-open until October 2022.
Are you still interested in being part of a future scheme?
- We all increasingly need high-speed broadband in order to manage our daily lives.
- So, we think it is worth ‘battling on’ and attempt to establish a new scheme.
- Hence, we are seeking to gauge your willingness to be part of this project.
- If you are interested, then please register now. The button link below will take you directly to the registration form.
Register Now
Please ensure you take action by no later than 30th June 2022. If we do not hear from you by this date, then we will assume you have no desire to participate.