The Sun is back (today at least!) so seems like a great time to send our first regular Full Fibre Build update of 2025.
Voucher Funding
BDUK have granted final approval for our Voucher Projects covering Bathealton, Stawley & Kittisford, Petton, & Clayhanger, which means we are now able to start processing Orders and Voucher Applications for each property that has signed up with us over the next week.
Once a Voucher is issued, that starts the 12month clock for us to build your fibre connection & get your service live.
Currently this covers 178 properties across these 4 areas, adding to the ~50 properties covered in our original projects that were stalled by Airbands contract but are now back in scope.
Unfortunately there are 4 properties currently ineligible as Openreach has marked these as within their commercial build plans in the next 3 years, these are all in Postcode EX16 9BG and are therefore ineligible for voucher funding. We’ll contact those individually to explain the impacts of this in detail.
Approximately every 3months BDUK adjusts the eligibility, so our standing advice is to apply and secure the funding while available, as eligibility could (and has in the past) change in future.
Build Progress
We recommenced active build to the south of the B3227 at the end of January and despite the weather we have completed ~4km of duct installation including crossing under the B3227 again at Handley Farm. This allows us to connect into the live network and in the coming weeks we’ll be connecting the 1st properties in the area while we head towards Hagley Bridge to cross the River Tone.
The River Tone is our biggest headache; the Environment Agency class the Tone as a “Main River” downstream from Waterrow, with restrictions placed on our build activities near and crossing the river with complex permits needed for any works.
Our outline build plan is therefore to cross once and then run parallel duct routes either side of the Tone as we extend out into the wider area.
Community Meetings
We held our first community meeting since 2021 at Bathealton Village Hall yesterday evening, thank you to those who attended. We have another meeting scheduled on 19th March at Kittisford Church, primarily this is for residents of Stawley and Kittisford, all are welcome.
We’ll be looking to arrange something for Clayhanger in due course as well, but in the interim we are happy to make arrangements to meet anyone individually who would like to learn more about the project and the voucher scheme.
Further Expansion
BDUK have instructed us to submit any future plans for the area by 7th April 2025, and so accordingly we will be looking to include Appley & Ashbrittle as well as any eligible areas towards Wiveliscombe in this window of opportunity, although build will be unlikely to start until late 2025/ early 2026 depending on progress in other locations.
Please do spread the word and encourage neighbours to register with us, there is no cost & no risk to registering but allows us to gauge demand & demand allows us to build!
