Issue - meetings

Recommendations

It is recommend that the Executive:

1)    notes the successful work carried out by the Superfast North Yorkshire programme in helping over 200,000 homes and businesses to become broadband-enabled over the last 13 years.

2)    notes the successful receipt of overage funding (over £27m) arising from higher than anticipated take-up of broadband in the areas where SFNY has made an intervention. (Para 2.4)

3)    approves the application of £1.65m from the overage reserve to reimburse NYNet 100 for the costs of delivering Phase 1 of the SFNY programme.

4)    delegates authority to the Corporate Director – Resources to proceed with the winding-up of NYNet 100 in conjunction with the Board of the company.

Considered – A report of the Corporate Director Resources which provided an update on work that had taken place on delivery of superfast broadband to residents of North Yorkshire over the last 15 years.  Approval was sought on the winding up of the wholly owned Company NYNet 100 that had been created to deliver the Superfast North Yorkshire (SFNY) programme.

Councillors Mark Crane and Carl Les and the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services (ACELDS), Barry Khan, declared interests in the item on the basis that they were directors of NYNet and left the room.  The ACELDS confirmed that they were unpaid directors on the company however as the recommendations contained a recommendation to give funding to NYNet then an interest should be declared.

The Corporate Director Resources, Gary Fielding, introduced the report and gave an overview of the key points:

·       North Yorkshire County Council had led on the roll-out of superfast broadband through the creation of NYNet 100 and were unique in England for being a council leading on this

·       Project Gigabit was now assuming responsibility for the roll-out, and NYNet 100 could be wound up as a separate company

·       The SFNY programme had enabled over 200k homes to be upgraded to superfast broadband

·       The council had been innovative in that the contract with commercial suppliers had led to the suppliers repaying public subsidies of £27m once it had been proven that there was a sufficient commercially viable demand

·       It was proposed that £1.6m be taken from the overage fund and applied to NYNet 100 to cover the balance owed on SFNY phase 1 costs and enabling the company to be wound up

Executive Members commented on the success of the project which had enabled superfast broadband to be provided to homes and business in areas of North Yorkshire which had not been covered by commercial providers.

Resolved (unanimously)

That the Executive:

1)    notes the successful work carried out by the Superfast North Yorkshire programme in helping over 200,000 homes and businesses to become broadband-enabled over the last 13 years.

2)    notes the successful receipt of overage funding (over £27m) arising from higher than anticipated take-up of broadband in the areas where SFNY has made an intervention. (Para 2.4)

3)    approves the application of £1.65m from the overage reserve to reimburse NYNet 100 for the costs of delivering Phase 1 of the SFNY programme.

4)    delegates authority to the Corporate Director Resources to proceed with the winding-up of NYNet 100 in conjunction with the Board of the company.