1.      That the award of contracts for £3.48m of externally funded resources, with scope to extend this by up to an additional £3m, if additional external funding is secured to extend superfast broadband coverage as part of the Central Superfast Partnership covering Central Bedfordshire, Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes, be approved.

2.      That the Council continues with the existing priorities set out through the previous BDUK procurement, through the procurement process:

·           maximising overall superfast broadband coverage;

·           subject to maximising superfast coverage, seek a balance between residential and business premise coverage; and

·           subject to maximising superfast coverage, achieve a reasonable geographic spread across Central Bedfordshire.

3.      To authorise the Director of Regeneration and Business, in consultation with the Executive Member for Corporate Resources, to select contractors to deliver superfast broadband infrastructure based on the Council’s priorities and the successful completion of the procurement process and BDUK state aid approval.  Furthermore that the Director of Regeneration and Business, in consultation with the Executive Member for Corporate Resources, may vary the contract/delivery programme as required during the lifetime of the contract, including reinvesting savings and efficiencies and additional external funding secured through the project.

4.      That the Council’s continued participation with the existing Central Superfast Broadband Partnership arrangements, be approved, updating the collaboration agreement as required.  Furthermore, that the Executive Member for Corporate Resources, in consultation with the Director of Regeneration and Business, approves any proposed changes to the membership and terms of reference to the partnership.