THIS BLOG HAS MOVED

For those followers of this blog we thank you and ask you to update your bookmark or subscription to the all new combined blog and website.

Digital Dales (UK) Limited trading as Fibre Garden

New website is now open

Fibre GarDen has launched it’s new website to coincide with the publication of the Share Prospectus tomorrow. The idea is to bring everything into one place (blog and website) to make it easier to manage and for users to access information and see what happening in Fibre Garden.

Many thanks must be given to Elliot Hartley of Garsdale Design who has engineered this for us as well as the new @fibergarden twitter account.

The new site can be found at www.digitaldales.com all future blog posts will be published there.

Exciting Week!

Many exciting things are happening at Fibre Garden this week!

We will be launching a combined new website and blog on Thursday so that everything is in one place under a new domain. Further details to follow.

We are also publishing the Share Prospectus for Fibre Garden on Thursday! This will be available on the website, blog, it will be emailed to everyone in Garsdale and Dentdale for whom we have an email address, and it will also be posted to every address.

This is your opportunity to support your community project and secure the provision of fibre optic broadband throughout the two Dales.

Full EIS approval received

We have received confirmation from HMRC that our application to run an Enterprise Investment Scheme for the project has now been fully approved. This is a significant event as it should attract more investors to the share offer.

The final draft of the share prospectus is being considered by the Board tomorrow following which it will be published. This is the final part of the funding strategy that should enable the project to supply fibre optic broadband to every dwelling in both Garsdale and Dentdale get underway.

If you would like to pre-register your interest in receiving a copy of the share prospectus then please email fibre-garden@outlook.com with your full contact details.

Anarchy in the BDUK?

Anarchy in the BDUK? BT to build over wireless network in Worcester - as reported in recombu

Worcestershire County Council are planning to let BT build in an area already supplied with broadband by wireless ISP Airband.

A community project funded with £700,000 of Worcestershire taxpayers’ money has seen Airband given the go-ahead to provide up to 50Mbps wireless broadband to those thought to be in the last 10 per cent of the county.

Share Prospectus Ready

We have now received back the final copy of the share prospectus from the lawyers,  which is to be reviewed and hopefully approved by the Board of Digital Dales (UK) Limited at it's Board Meeting on 1 September. 

It has been a long time coming but it is the most important document we have produced so far. Following the Board meeting it will be circulated to every dwelling in Garsdale and Dentdale and will be available on the website and through this blog.

Superfast broadband - and the lack of it

Further evidence has emerged confirming the slow pace of progress when it comes to improving rural broadband speeds, according to the Rural Services Network.

Superfast broadband - and the lack of it - is the focus of this newsletter from the Rural Vulnerability Service - brought to you by the Rural Services Network in association with Calor.

Broadband and the Economy

The Rural Services Network has published this article stating that 'better broadband would boost the economy'. It would appear that Four out of five (80%) of all adults agreed that rolling out high-speed broadband across the whole of the UK would have a positive impact on the economy. 

We certainly think that this will be the case for both Garsdale and Dentdale and surveys will be undertaken to help measure this.

Local Farmers

A meeting took place today with a group of nine Garsdale farmers with the aim of bringing them up to speed on recent developments to to secure their continued support for the project.

The meeting was held at Lucid Training and many thanks to them for the excellent lunchtime refreshments. Discussions focused in project finances, route planning and wayleaves. It is hoped that some trench digging would start in November. Thanks to all those who attended and for a very positive meeting.

Registration Received

We have now received the registration documents for Digital Dales (UK) Limited which is the new company and cooperative that will be used for the delivery of the project. The registration means that we can now finalise the share offer and publish for all to take part!

Following our visit to London to present to the SIB Group (Social Investment Business) as part of our application for support funding for the project, we are delighted to advise that this has been successful! There will be the usual due diligence checks and other conditions to satisfy but recognition of Fibre GarDen as a worthy community project by The SIB Group is of immense importance and we very much look forward to working with them and their representatives.

The funding, part grant and part loan, equates to approximately £200 per property in the two Dales and brings the total funding raised so far to £435,000 for the network build. In addition to this we have previously raised some £28,000 to cover startup costs.

Now it is over to you as members of the Garsdale and Dentdale communities. As soon as the new company registration certificate arrives for the Co-operative, we will be able to launch the share offer which will be your opportunity to invest in your community project to secure super fast broadband, via fibre optic cable, to your property.

Where is BDUK rolling out broadband?

So just where is superfast broadband being rolled out across the UK? This article in Computer Weekly appears to offer a useful summary.

Penalty for rural living

Tim Farron MP outlines his concerns about the penalties rural communities have to pay in The Westmoreland Gazette.

Funding Presentation

Members of the Fibre Garden team travel to London tomorrow to make a presentation the Venture Capital Fund as the final part of our application for a grant and support funding. This key source of funding is the final part of our overall funding strategy that will help to secure the project.

Wish us well and watch the blog for feedback on our presentation!

Do we still need the telephone?

This is an interesting article by Lucy Kellaway of the BBC: Just as the use of social media divides opinion, so the arrival of telephones in the office was once seen as a radical intrusion.

Initial HMRC approval

We have received confirmation, through our Accountants, that HMRC have no queries on our EIS application at this stage.  This is another important step to getting the share offer released.

How Maria Miller can save British broadband

Br0kenTeleph0n3

"If tomorrow’s meeting to get a grip on the provision of next generation broadband access (NGA) in the “Final 10%” is not to produce a damp squib, the government needs to commit itself to true competition in telecoms market.

Culture minister Maria Miller called the meeting between her, communications minister Ed Vaizey, and representatives from BT, BDUK and six would-be alternative network operators (altnets) who are looking for money from the Rural Community Broadband Fund (RCBF) in the wake of the highly criticalNational Audit Office report into value for money from the rural broadband process overseen by BDUK."

Read more...

The need for speed

This press release from EUROPA states that 45% of European internet users are willing to upgrade or change supplier for a higher speed.

You may think you have sufficient speed today but this time next year you will be looking around for something quicker!

Grant Confirmed

Our recent application to Yorkshire Dales National Park Sustainable Development Fund has been successful!

This is our second successful application which clearly demonstrates the value placed on our project by YDNP and the proven need for fast and reliable broadband connections in Garsdale and Dentdale. This particular grant is to be used as a contribution to initial overheads when the project is up and running, among other things it will help secure new employment opportunities.

We now have just over 50% of the required funding in place. On the 30th of this month we will be making a presentation to another potential funder for a further 17% of the required funding. The rest is then down to the communities through the imminent share offer. 

Meeting the suppliers

Starting tonight, Fibre Garden will be meeting a number of shortlisted potential suppliers who have submitted tenders for the network build. There are three essential elements to this process, ensuring that companies have the technical wherewithal and ability; we undertake due diligence, and that they understand the objectives of the communities as a social enterprise.

Interesting times!

auditors slam missed broadband target

The Rural Services Network picks up on the National Audit Office report on the broadband roll out and BT contracts.

@fibregarden

We have now launched the @fibregarden account on twitter, which already has a number of followers. Make sure you check it out and follow as well!

Board Meeting

The Board Members of Fibre Garden met last night to review the progress on a number of fronts:

• The registration of Digital Dales (UK) Limited, the vehicle through which the network will be built and delivered was acknowledged.
• HMRC had acknowledged our Advance Approval Application for the EIS Scheme
• The share prospectus still required one further document to be received before publication, which is due shortly
• The tendering process for the building of the network was to be finalised and meetings are to be held with a short list of potential suppliers
• The Company accounts ending March 2013 were signed off and are ready to be submitted to Companies House
• Various grant applications were reported on
• Our Code Powers application is to be progressed and submitted
• Our land agent is to report back shortly on wayleaves.

The next full Board meeting will be held on 1st September but a great deal of work will continue on all fronts before then.

National Audit Office

This makes interesting reading for those who follow the National Audit Office and BT

Government Rural Broadband Target Postponed

Looks like there is going to be a delay in achieving the Government's Rural Broadband Target which has now been put back to 2017. Good job that community broadband projects, like fibre Garden, are moving forward!

JOIN THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION

JOIN THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION - YOUR COMMUNITY SUPER FAST BROADBAND NETWORK

Background
The countdown has now officially started on the launch of our community super fast broadband initiative that will bring our wonderful communities to the very forefront of the digital revolution that is taking place around the world.

No more digital poverty, no more excuses from oligopolistic suppliers who do not care about our community except to leach money from it. 

A network that is owned and operated by our community, for our community and for the future of our children and others who wish to work and join the quality of life that we wish to preserve and enhance in the future. 

It is worth restating our basic guiding principles once again, namely:

a) inclusion for everybody, no matter how remote, (no "I'm alright jack", nobody left behind, access for all that want a service)

b) the best possible service that technology and cost will enable us to have and one that means every benefit from this technological revolution will be available to all (our super-fast broadband will be the best that will be available in this country);

c) A future proofed service of fibre to everyone's home (FTTH) and a one off investment in our future (no half cocked temporary 20th century copper wire solutions, no excuses, no decisions determined outside of our community); and finally

d) A community service created by the voluntary efforts of many, the good will of our farmers on wayleaves and all of it owned by us, the members of our community (not some faceless bureaucrats, predatory external parties, others with multiple agendas)

Our Structure

Our new company legal structure has now been created, after much legal discussion with relevant authorities and advisers, and, like our new community broadband network, this structure places us at the very forefront of developments in this area. There are few, if any, who have our advanced structure.

Our applications to the relevant authorities are now being filed, our share prospectus is being finalised and we are all set to go in the very near future to execute the final piece of the money jigsaw that we have been carefully piecing together.

Our company, registered as Digital Dales (UK) Limted, and trading as Fibre Garden, will be an Industrial Provident Society - Multi Stakeholder Cooperative (IPS-COOP)

As a refresher for all, Co-operative Principles are:

'the principles defined in the International Co-operative Alliance Statement of Co-operative Identity. The principles are those of voluntary and open membership, democratic member control, member economic participation, autonomy and independence, education, training and information, co-operation among co-operatives and concern for the community.' 

In short it is up to us to determine our own destiny.

In clear and simple terms this means:

i) that the company is owned and operated by you the members and users; 

ii) it will be able to take advantage of the EIS scheme which means for every pound invested by a member, the government will give a tax rebate of 30p;

iii) the company will offer withdrawable shares to members (subject to certain conditions) that will pay interest;

iv) that we will be able to pay dividends to members;

v) that we will be able to support community projects in the future; and finally

vi) that any long term surplus, or capital appreciation, is forever locked in to benefit our community

Our Finance

We are expected to also receive substantial financial support from the government (DEFRA), other social funders and those who recognise the importance of our project and its objective of community self determination. To date we have already received significant support, financial or otherwise, from The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Cumbria County Council, South Lakeland District Council and our MP, Tim Farron.

We now need to show our determination and commitment by collecting from our community money through a share issue. In this way by matched funding we can finalise our project and own it into the future for a fraction of what it might normally cost.

What do you need to do

The time is now rapidly approaching when our project will be formally launched. More information will be made available within the month of July. It will soon be time for you to receive a prospectus and make a share application. 

Only with your individual support can we all collectively benefit. Each according to their means.

Please watch carefully for further developments and information including our formal launch plans. Help others in our community to understand the importance of this matter for our future.

We have this once in a lifetime chance to make sure our community is connected with the world in the same way that our Victorian ancestors built our train service, and our parents received the benefits of the first electricity to our valleys. Our grandchildren will look back on this moment in the same way. Let us grab it with energy and enthusiasm and community spirit that we are known so well for. The future is in your hands.

Councils ‘yet to get government cash’

An interesting article from the BBC on just how many councils, or not, have actually received any government cash for the rollout of broadband.

Rural Broadband in Action

B4RN is featured on BBC’s Countryfile showing how it is done, our turn next!

BT faces competition

Competition against BT is mounting as communities find alternative ways of securing their superfast broadband, with a little help from Sweden.

Useful explanation

It is well worth having a quick read of this article that demonstrates why Fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) is not going to produce a ‘superfast’ broadband network when you are more than a mile away from the green cabinet.

This is exactly the reason why Fibre Garden has always insisted on Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) for your network around Garsdale and Dentdale and is, to our minds, the only option.

Your turn is coming

There is still much work going on in the background to to secure the delivery of fibre optic broadband to every property in both Garsdale and Dentdale but we are now in the final few weeks of a two and a half year marathon.

I don’t think any of us, current and past members of the project team, realised just what a complex and challenging project this would be when we first started. The legal, contractual and technical elements have taken the most time, and expense, in recent months but subject to one final document being signed off by a main supplier at the end of this month, we will then be ready to publish the Share Prospectus, the opportunity for you to show your support for the project. Without this it will simply not get off the ground.

Everyone will be notified when the Share Prospectus is published but keep watching this blog for further news.

Connecting Cumbria

Two very interesting news items this week affecting the whole of Cumbria:

Scheduled roll-out of superfast broadband in Cumbria

MP ‘incredibly angry’ at broadband roll-out plans

Looks like our areas, including Sedbergh, which they don’t know how to spell, are well down the list. Garsdale and Dent are in the last 7%, it is still not known what residents and businesses in these areas will get and when, so Fibre Garden had better get on with it!

Satisfied Customer

Have a read of this blog post on the B4RN site from a very satisfied customer who has just been connected to the fibre optic network. This is what Fibre Garden is striving to achieve for Garsdale and Dentdale. We are in the final stages now pulling everything together and it will soon be your turn to make this possible!

rsnonline–broadband

rsnonline have issued this newsletter that covers a number of articles relating to rural broadband and is well worth a read if you have a few minutes.

Tender Results Delay

We have received a considerable number of well presented technical proposals which we are currently in the final stages of evaluating. We expect that this process may take more time and careful consideration and we would be most grateful if you would be so kind as to await our further response direct to you in the near future. Thank you very much for the interest you have shown in our project which is greatly appreciated.

Local Committee for South Lakeland

Our many thanks to the Local Committee for South Lakeland for the £3,000 grant towards the legal and professional costs of the project. We have now submitted a Project Completion Report confirming that the funds have been spent and that without them we could not have progressed as we have.

It is so important that local projects like Fibre Garden, that will benefit the Garsdale and Dentdale communities and possibly beyond, are supported in this way. You can have many hardworking enthusiasts but you also need some financial support to get a project off the ground.

Sedbergh & Kirkby Lonsdale Neighbourhood Forum

Our many thanks to the Sedbergh & Kirkby Lonsdale Neighbourhood Forum for the £1,000 grant  towards the legal and professional costs of the project. We have now submitted a Project Completion Report confirming that the funds have been spent and that without them we could not have progressed as we have.

General Update

The Fibre Garden team are still hard at it bringing various aspects of the project together, a significant milestone will shortly be reached.

The formation of the legal entity for the project is nearing completion following many many discussions with lawyers and accountants to get this right both for the community and potential investors and to ensure that we comply with all the rules and regulations, especially to qualify for an Enterprise Investment Scheme. Thanks must be given to those on the team with expertise in this area and who have guided the rest of us through the process. It is our aim to share our experience with other communities as appropriate.

Having formed and registered the legal entity this then permits us to finalise the Share Offer, which was planned to be launched at the beginning of this month. The offer document is written and is going through its final scrutiny before being launched through an appropriate marketing event. Further announcements will be made on this blog.

Our technical team members are also in the final stage of evaluating the many tenders that have been submitted for building the fibre network through both Dales. This is a huge task, ensuring that we have the right solution in place using the right technology at the right price with the right partner! Then there is all the contract law to be looked at.

Funding is in place from DEFRA who are currently looking at the possibility of increasing our intervention rate, we have submitted a new grant application to YDNP to assist with initial overheads and we are currently in the submission and appraisal stage of some further Venture Capital funding. However, the project still needs a great deal of financial support from the communities of Garsdale and Dentdale through the Share Offer that will enable the pledges already made and any new ones to be formalised. Without this support the project will not be able to proceed.

Further updates will be published shortly but if you have any specific queries please do contact us.

Rural Broadband still too slow

This posting from RSNONLINE, Rural Services Network highlights an article by DEFRA stating that rural broadband speeds in the countryside languish behind those in larger towns and cities. They are not wrong in this statement but it's all set to change!

Promoting Fibre GarDen

Elliot Hartley, Director of Garsdale Design Limited, demonstrates the impact of GeoDesign and City Engine has had on their project planning workflows with particular emphasis on project in Iraq.

He promotes Fibre GarDen within his presentation that can be seen in this YouTube clip

Tenders are in!!

Many thanks to all those companies who have submitted a tender for the Fibre GarDen project, we do appreciate the amount of work it takes to submit a tender, but it's our turn to put some hours in to properly evaluate each submission.

The technical members of the team will have their work cut out, followed by yours truly to look at the numbers. The evaluation period will last for four weeks.

Dent PC AGM

Fibre GarDen made a presentation to Dent Parish Council at their AGM this week to update the Council on the progress of the project.

Having alerted residents of the Dale to the presentation it was well attended, which is a further demonstration of the support and need for fibre optic super-fast broadband to each home and business in both Garsdale and Dentdale. A copy of the presentation has been emailed to all residents but if you did not receive this and wish to be included in our mailing list please do submit your email address by clicking on the 'subscribe' link in the side menu.

Fibre GarDen Present

The Fibre GarDen team will make a presentation to the Dent Parish Council Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 17th April at 7:30pm in Dent Memorial Hall. The current Chair of the Council has invited Fibre GarDen to update them on the latest developments of the project.

All Dent Dale residents are welcome attend.

Invitation to Tender

Due to overwhelming interest from potential suppliers from the UK and internationally we have decided to extend our deadline for submissions by two weeks. 

The Tender will now close at midnight on the 28th April 2013

We are most grateful to all those who have expressed an interest and encourage bidders to consider that the additional time permits you to create the most competitive solutions.

Dent Parish Council

Members of the Fibre GarDen Team will make a presentation at the Dent Parish Council AGM on Wednesday 17th April at 7:30pm.

This will provide an opportunity to update the Council on the progress of the project and how we see the project timetable panning out in the coming months. Any resident of the Dent Parish Council area are welcome to attend.

New Vice Chair

A new Vice Chairman was elected at the Fibre GarDen Board meeting on Friday. Stefan Kosciuszko, who has been involved in the project since it's early days and a Director since the formation of Fibre GarDen Limited  in March 2011.

Due to the increasing size and complexity of the project, the Board agreed that we needed someone to focus on the formation of the new legal frame work and publishing of the share offer. Stefan will be working closely with our professional advisers in achieving this over the coming weeks.

Broadband is essential

broadband, never knew we needed it, now can't do without it! This excellent article by GH Davies is well worth a read if you ever doubted that you needed broadband.

This is an interesting BBC article referencing some research done by the regulator Ofcom, and a report by the Community Broadband Network on funding options for the problem of the last 10% in the UK - the rural hard to reach places which include much of Cumbria.

Ofcom appear to be saying that the average broadband speed has trebled in the last 4 years to 12 Mb/s, but when you look into the figures, actually it is the contracted headline broadband speed that has trebled and not necessarily the actual speed of connection enjoyed by the subscriber.

Both of the major providers in the UK, BT and Virgin Media, have recently doubled their headline speeds on all contracts, which will have led to a speed increase for some subscribers whose line would support a higher speed, but for many there will have been no change. For me in Garsdale my contracted broadband speed went from 8 Mb/s to 16 Mb/s with BT, but actually we've never had as much as 2 Mb/s, so for Ofcom to claim speeds are increasing on this basis seems unfair.

By way of analogy, the Department for Transport could claim that congestion is improving because they've surveyed car sales and cars are getting faster.

The danger is that this metric is cited as proof of improving broadband in the UK, when the metric we need Ofcom to concentrate on is the speeds people actually connect at and enjoy - not a theoretical maximum service rate.

This said, the Ofcom research does indicate that broadband speeds are increasingly important and will likely continue to be so.

From John Colton, Technical Director.

Interest Grows

Interest in the Fibre Garden Invitation to Tender continues to grow with 25 inquiries responded to so far, 12 of which were today. This interest is extremely encouraging as it demonstrates the value of this community project to industry and the importance of them being involved at all levels.

The tender period runs from the 4th March 2013 to 14th April 2013, evaluations will be undertaken by the 12th May and successful applications notified by 28th May 2013. Contracts will not be issued until all required project funding is in place.

Requests for the tender document must be made either by email (admin@fibre-garden.co.uk) or by written request to: The Secretary, Fibre GarDen, Corner Cottage, Sedbergh LA10 5BB.

Excellent Response

We have received an excellent response to the publication of our Invitation to Tender, released on Monday. A good number of inquiries have been responded to and we look forward to seeing many more in the next couple of weeks!

Invitation to Tender

Fibre GarDen has been working towards publishing an invitation to tender for its fibre network requirements.  This document has now been approved by BDUK and DEFRA, we are now in a position to publish this and invite interested businesses or organisations to tender for our requirements.

The tender period runs from the 4th March 2013 to 14th April 2013, evaluations will be undertaken by the 12th May and successful applications notified by 28th May 2013. Contracts will not be issued until all required project funding is in place.

Requests for the tender document must be made either by email (admin@fibre-garden.co.uk) or by written request to: The Secretary, Fibre GarDen, Corner Cottage, Sedbergh LA10 5BB.

More Support for Fibre Garden

Fibre Garden is delighted to be have been made a financial award by the South Lakeland Local Committee to assist with the further development costs of getting everything in place for the share offer and then the start of building the network. The award will secure further professional advice and additional resources to move the project forward.

Failure to Invest in Fibre Broadband

This is an interesting article in the siliconrepublic website that suggests that failure to invest in fibre broadband could make Europe an economic backwater.

'European nations and their respective incumbents’ inability to embark on ambitious fibre infrastructure plans that will prepare their countries for the 21st century and beyond could cost them dearly, the director general of the Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council Hartwig Tauber told Siliconrepublic.com.

He said that by 2020 when the EU is targeting 50pc of homes having 100Mbps, consumers will be requiring download speeds of 170Mbps and upload speeds of 100Mbps.'

A Community Shows the Way

Our neighbours over in Lancashire, who are successfully running the B4ARN project to deliver super-fast fibre optic broadband to a large number of remote properties, were featured on BBC Breakfast News this morning as part of an open day event.

The video can be seen here on Rory Cellen-Jones blog who visited and gave this report.

If everything goes to plan, residents of Garsdale and Dentdale can expect similar activity later on this year!

Buyers will pay more for a house

A survey by the Halifax reveals that the majority of people are willing to pay more for a house with good broadband.  We know we've already seen statistics to show houses with good broadband sell for higher prices, but this one seems to be asking people how much more they are willing to pay for a house with better broadband and showing a willingness to pay an extra, with a fifth of people surveyed saying they would pay 4 to 10% extra from even a relatively modest improvement in broadband.

Even in the NE it appears 85% are willing to pay an extra 3%. I expect it's perhaps more in reality, but people don't like saying they'll pay more.  If this is the situation now, it will be even more important in years to come, and it points to £1000 per property being good value for a future-proof fibre connection that will add thousands in home value.

Tax Advisers Appointed

Fibre GarDen is pleased to announce the appointment of Tait Walker Chartered Accountants as our tax advisers to guide us through the process of seeking approval for an Enterprise Investment Scheme and then to be available for further advice and support through the Share Offer period and beyond.

Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, they have previously worked with Muckle LLP who we have also recently appointed. The two appointments now provide the professional support needed to ensure the robustness of the project and to give reassurance to potential investors.

Fibre GarDen Forges Forward

Fibre GarDen, the community interest company which has been set up to build a fibre-optic network to every property in Garsdale and Dentdale, has moved several steps closer to bringing super-fast broadband to the communities.

In January the Fibre GarDen board was joined by Adrian Gordon and Tony Robinson. Adrian brings experience of developing internet based services to the project and

Tony works in mobile telephony software.

The New Year also brought excellent news in the form of another successful grant application which follows DEFRA's commitment to provide £157,500 to the project. Now, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has demonstrated support for the project through a grant of £14,900 from its Sustainable Development Fund. This grant enables Fibre GarDen to secure the legal advice it needs to present a share prospectus to the community as the second phase of our fundraising. That advice will be provided by the Newcastle law firm Muckle LLP who won the award for Regional Law Firm of the Year, 2012. We are grateful to Muckle LLP who will provide some of the advice free of charge. We anticipate that we will be bringing the share prospectus to the communities in April.

A different part of the ongoing work is the detailed mapping of the network route. In this, we have received a lot of support from Garsdale Design who have provided us with mapping software. Tom Woof, who lives at Greenwood Haw Farm, is working along the dales to confirm land ownership along the proposed network route. Once he has done so, we will approach landowners to secure permission to build the network.

Simultaneously, we have published our State Aid Notice for the required duration of 30 days with no challenges and are on the point of issuing our Invitation To Tender (ITT) to suppliers of materials and services.

We are also fortunate to have secured significant support from YDNP who are providing us with advice about land designations such as protected verges, common-land and stewardship. This will enable us to design the route to minimise environmental impact and simplify planning issues. We are delighted that YDNP has embraced the project so whole-heartedly and are grateful for their support.

2013 will be a big year for Fibre GarDen and we look forward to bringing you more news in the coming months.

Andrew Fleck - Chairman

Legal Advice

Fibre GarDen is pleased to announce the appointment of Muckle LLP as our legal advisers.  They are based in Newcastle and have just been award the Regional Law Firm of the Year. Muckle will be focusing on the formation of the required legal structures and advising on the Share Prospectus, which is to be launched shortly.

Broadband Cabinets

DCMS have posted information regarding a consultation period on the proposed changes for the siting of broadband cabinets and  overhead lines for the deployment of superfast broadband networks.  This really only effects BT and possibly Virgin Media but interesting nonetheless.

Regardless of the outcome, we are planning to hide all of our infrastructure and not have metal cabinets by the roadside or erect any overhead lines.

Grant sucess!

We received confirmation yesterday that our application to the Yorkshire Dales National Park Sustainable Development Fund for help with the project start up costs had been successful! 

The application was well supported by YDNP members who have also asked that we produce a Case Study report for circulation to other  applicants who are seeking to achieve similar objectives. YDNP are also assisting us with meeting some of the many regulations and required permissions as well as working with other agencies.

This new funding is very welcome at a time when we need to secure additional resources and professional advice for the various aspects of the project.

New Board Members

Fibre Garden welcomed two new members to it's Board last night who are residents of Dentdale. Adrian Gordon, a freelance e-commerce Consultant and Tony Robinson who also works in the telecommunications industry. As the project moves towards it's building phase later this year, subject to sufficient funds being raised from the share offer, it will require both additional technical expertise and local knowledge, which Adrian and Tony will be able to provide.

If you would like to get involved in the project by offering some help or expertise then please do contact us, all are welcome!

Traffic Increases

We have had a significant increase in the number of visitors to this blog site in the past couple of weeks, which is all very encouraging and clearly demonstrates the growing interest in the Fibre GarDen project. This article featuring Fibre GarDen has appeared in recumbu, which also confirms interest by the IT Industry.

New Content

We have now added some new content to this site. The page tabs can now be found on the right that include two new pages:

• Documents where we will publish formal documents, this currently contains our State Aid Notice; and 
• Articles that features interesting items about Fibre GarDen and broadband issues including video links to the appearance of Andrew Fleck on the Sunday Politics Show, the B4RN project and a series of written articles by John Colton our Technical Director, which are well worth a read.

Make sure you revisit these pages on a regular basis for the very latest news and information about Fibre GarDen.