WESTMORLAND MP BACKS B4RN FOR THE NORTH WEST

This week, Westmorland MP Tim Farron was invited to attend a meeting of Murton Parish Councillors to discuss ongoing issues with Government funding for broadband connectivity.

The parish had been working with B4RN and were preparing to press the 'green light' before the Government decided to pause the project by downgrading the priority level for broadband access in the area.

Last week, Tim challenged the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the House of Commons on why this decision was made at the eleventh hour for Warcop Parish, a neighbouring area in the Eden valley.

The parish is comprised of a number of small villages with poor connectivity, including Murton where the meeting took place.

A particular note was made of the poor connectivity in the village hall. As part of their service, B4RN will install broadband into public buildings such as village halls and churches for no additional charge.

Speaking today, Tim said: "This is a real blow for the parish as they have worked tirelessly to prepare for this installation.

"They were all but putting spades in the ground before the Government pulled the plug with zero explanation or justification.

"There is no other convenient or better solution to broadband connectivity in Cumbria than B4RN. They are excellent at what they do, have a pre-existing relationship with the community and had already fully prepared to start work in the area."

The meeting concluded with the agreement that Tim would continue to challenge Government Ministers on this decision and Building Digital UK, the governmental body which oversees decisions on priority levels for broadband.