Pictured above: (l-r) Ian Edwards (Rural Regeneration Zone), Peter Pawsey (Rural Regeneration Zone), Philip Dunne (MP for Ludlow) and Sir Roy McNulty (Advantage West Midlands) 

A new project aimed at improving rural broadband for 40,000 people and more than 2500 businesses in the rural West Midlands was launched this week.

The announcement, which headlined the Rural Regeneration Zone's 5th Annual Conference, was made by Ludlow MP Philip Dunne and involves a new agreement with Worcester-based Airband Community Internet Ltd to provide high speed coverage across towns in Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire.

Benefitting from a £200,000 investment from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), it is anticipated that the pilot will provide universal 2mb wireless broadband access across a 40 square mile patch between Leominster, Ludlow and Tenbury Wells.

There are also plans to offer companies in this area a bespoke package that will see them benefit from a 10mb service - ideal for hi-tech businesses and especially those operating in digital media, global manufacturing and e-commerce.

"The lack of available and reliable high-speed broadband has been identified as a barrier to economic development in rural areas and this has already been earmarked as an issue to be tackled by the new Coalition Government," explained Peter Pawsey, Executive Chair of the Rural Regeneration Zone.

"With this in mind, I am delighted that - even in today's times of austerity - we are able to bring a long-term plan to fruition by launching one of the largest rural broadband projects of its type in the UK and a potential solution that could be rolled out across the rural West Midlands and even further afield."

He continued: "Using our expertise in RDPE funding, we managed to secure £200,000 from the European Economic Recovery Programme towards the pilot and this will be used by Airband to provide high-speed broadband over  40 square miles.

"This Ludlow, Leominster and Tenbury Well 'triangle' has traditionally been prone to unreliable services and, in some cases, no provision whatsoever. 

"The offer will start immediately with a marketing drive to businesses being rolled out over the next two weeks. By 2013, we would envisage more than 250 companies successfully signed up, making the project self-sufficient in its own right."

Philip Dunne MP said: "Reliable access to broadband is essential for business and increasingly necessary for all of us. This initiative provides a real opportunity for greater connectivity for those in the Ludlow, Leominster and Tenbury triangle. 

"The funding is secure and the backhaul capacity may provide a backbone for other communities in this very rural area to access in due course."

Pictured above: Matt Smith (Rural Regeneration Zone), Redmond Peel (Airband) and Philip Dunne (MP for Ludlow)

Future of Regeneration

The Advantage West Midlands-backed Rural Regeneration Zone Conference was held at Ludlow Racecourse and attracted 200 delegates from across the public and private sectors.

In addition to announcing the rural broadband pilot, there was also a keynote address on the future of regeneration in rural areas by Advantage West Midlands' Chairman Sir Roy McNulty and an insight into the ongoing success of Care Farming West Midlands in improving social inclusion.

There was also an opportunity to review some of the RRZ's headline achievements, including video case studies on Peterchurch's multi-use facility inside St Peter's Church, Wem Town Hall's digital media course and Butford Organics, a smallholding in Herefordshire specialising in cider, perry, pork and eggs.

Peter picked up the story: "We said last year that we would have to be more creative and innovative in the way in which we deliver projects in our four key pillars - economy, environmental excellence, skills and in improving access to essential services.

"This, I'm pleased to report, has been achieved, primarily through our ability to tap into RDPE funding to ensure multi-use facilities continue to be rolled out and the availability of Rural Enterprise Grants in the Zone.

"The latter has been a huge success with 50 of the 63 grants given to the West Midlands being directed to micro businesses and farmers in the rural West. This accounts for more than £1.1m of funding and has been responsible for more than 100 jobs."

The Conference, which saw the launch of this year's Annual Report, provided a review of the Zone's activity since 2003, a seven-year period that has seen £100m leveraged from the private sector in addition to AWM's funding, 1800 businesses assisted and 2000 jobs created or safeguarded.

It also highlighted a number of flagship schemes that the RRZ has delivered since its inception in 2002, including the Hereford Learning Village, the Royal National College for the Blind, the Shrewsbury Technology Centre and the £16m Enterprise Centre Network, which is now home to more than 100 companies.

Sir Roy McNulty, Chairman of Advantage West Midlands, concluded: "The Rural Regeneration Zone is the only one of its kind in the UK and has proven what can be achieved by clear leadership, joined-up thinking and tailored economic and social solutions to rural issues.

"I have no doubt that the partnerships established by the RRZ will continue to have a major positive benefit to the rural areas it serves."