Owl is confused. When exactly did EDDC decide to formulate its own solution for full broadband coverage in the district?
Certainly as early as May 2015 according to this item in the minutes of the Yarcombe Annual Parish Meeting on 18 May 2015:
“Broadband Briefing
… News had been received that morning from Councillor Phil Twiss of East Devon District Council explaining that EDDC were attempting to go it alone and provide a private equity solution which Steve Horner thought might be a more expensive solution.
Steve also commented that despite the fact that Yarcombe was not a very remote Parish we have both the A 303 and A 30 trunk roads running through the parish, it would appear that we will be left out of the programme and will have to rely on the expensive “Satellite“ solution.
Steve did promise he would continue to lobby long and hard on behalf of Yarcombe to ensure we did have a decent broadband signal.
Cllr Pidgeon thanked Steve for all his work on our behalf.”
http://www.yarcombe.net/docs/Parish%20Council%20APM%2020150518.doc
And as late as Aptil 2015, EDDC was saying that it was working in partnership with CDC – the combined Devon and Somerset group that it now seems to have pulled out of:
http://eastdevon.gov.uk/business-and-investment/business-support-and-advice/
But was EDDC still taking the lead on this with the Devon and Somerset CDC? If so, wouldn’t that be a rather conflicting situation?
Also, if a ” private equity solution” is being sought, would this not come under EU tendering rules that assume a great deal of transparency on who is talking to whom about what?
If only one “private equity” company is involved surely this would be against competition rules too?
Perhaps councillor Twiss could enlighten us all.
East Devon Watch 