Wayleave rates agreed to smooth broadband projects
Recommended wayleave payment rates to allow access for superfast broadband services to rural areas have been agreed by the CLA and NFU.
The suggested rates and terms apply to those dealing with both not-for-profit organisations and companies seeking to install infrastructure for community rural broadband networks.
The suggested rates and agreements should help to cut down the time and cost of negotiating wayleave. There could also be circumstances where a landowner wishes to waive payment in return for their own high-speed broadband connection to the network, suggest the organisations.
The advisory wayleave rate for fibre/duct is 25p/m/year, or £3.75/m as a one-off payment. For each joint box or cabinet, the current advisory rate is £30/year, or £450 as a one-off payment.
“These are advisory rates,” said Dr Charles Trotman, CLA head of rural business development. It would be open to a landowner to seek higher or even lower rates. Wayleave was an issue that could prolong negotiations, hold up or even block projects in some cases.
“We are confident this wayleaves package will help secure consent for a broadband infrastructure to be rolled out to the final third of the country that still suffer with chronically poor broadband,” said CLA president Harry Cotterell.
The government has pledged to provide £530m to ensure 90% of households in the UK have superfast broadband (24mbps) by 2015. This money will also cover getting the remainder of households up to 2mbps. Responsibility for this rollout has been given to local authorities.