Scottish Borders Council have launched an investigation into what they received in return for an additional £8.4m investment in the Scottish Government’s broadband scheme.
The review comes after a report found the Borders has the second worst broadband in the whole of Scotland.
SBC, along with other councils in Scotland, each provided an additional contribution to the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband scheme (DSSB), which was set a target of delivering superfast broadband to 95% of homes in Scotland. Individual councils contributed £50.7m to this scheme, alongside a Scottish Government contribution of £62.8m and a UK Government contribution of £100m. These individual contributions were in addition to £40m given collectively by all 32 local authorities.
However, the latest update from Audit Scotland has shown that the Scottish Borders has not met the 95% target and currently has the second worst average broadband speed, slower than the Western Isles and slower than Shetland.
Scottish Borders Council’s Audit and Scrutiny Committee has now agreed to scrutinise the council’s contribution to find out whether it has delivered value for money. Depending on the Committee’s conclusion, Scottish Borders Council may formally criticise the process.
Executive Member for Business & Economic Development, Cllr Mark Rowley said: “It is shocking that it is only at the end of the DSSB project that we learn that it failed to meet the agreed target for coverage, despite Scottish Borders making a significant additional contribution of £8.4m.
“That means that there are now thousands more Borders residents without access to superfast broadband who had a right to expect it by the end of 2017. Given this failure by Digital Scotland there is huge concern that the impending R100 programme will be inadequate to fill the larger gap & the Borders will become a broadband backwater. There needs to be an immediate pledge that broadband shortfalls - such as those in the Borders - will be remedied in the months ahead.”
Commenting, John Lamont MP said: “Despite having their budgets slashed by the Scottish Government, Scottish Borders Council have still contributed to a programme which was meant to achieve better broadband for residents and businesses.
“The problem with the Scottish Government’s decision to deliver broadband nationally rather than through local authorities is that BT have inevitably focused on the low hanging fruit. Properties which are easier to connect have seen improvements to their broadband and those in more rural areas, like the Scottish Borders have been left behind.
“For the Scottish Borders to have average broadband speeds which are slower than the Western Isles and slower than Shetland is, frankly, an absolute joke.
“The council are quite right to be asking some serious questions about what they have received for their £8.4m investment.”