Issue - meetings

This report sets out York’s Super-Connected City (SCC) proposals designed to complement and build on existing digital initiatives underway or planned, to support the need of enhancing York’s digital connectivity.

RESOLVED:       That Cabinet agree to:

i)             The Council contributing £869, 000 towards the £4.849m Super-Connected Cities programme, and that this cost be allocated to the Economic Infrastructure Fund. 

ii)            A Digital York Project Board being put in place with the Chief Executive delegated authority to agree its membership and terms of reference.  The Digital York Board to oversee and guide the York Super-Connected Cities Programme.

iii)          A priority for the Board being to prepare a Digital York Strategy and Delivery Plan.

REASON:           York’s Super-Connected City (SCC) proposals are designed to complement and build on existing digital initiatives underway or planned, to support the need of enhancing York’s digital connectivity. This was recognised in the 2011 Council Plan target of helping to establish a digital infrastructure within the City to provide speeds of 25 megabits per second (Mbits) for the majority of York’s business and residents by the end of 2015 and was in line with the national BDUK targets.

Members considered a report which confirmed the success of the City of York Council as one of twelve Super-Connected City (SCC) Programme Round 2 winners recently announced by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The bid had secured an initial £2.75m to enhance citywide digital connectivity across a range of innovative projects.

The importance and benefits of enhanced digital connections were reported together with the Council Plan target of 95% of all businesses having the opportunity to have minimum connection speeds of 25 megabits per second by the end of 2014/15. Details of the 8 projects which would complement existing private and public digital investment were set out at paragraphs 17 to 24 of the report.

It was reported that it had proved difficult to be precise as to the financial implications of the programme, pending confirmation and scoping of the projects. The funding to be committed from the Economic Infrastructure Fund set out at paragraphs 31 – 32 and 40 and at Annex A. Governance would take the form of a Digital York Board which would be appointed to guide the SCC programme and promote private and public investment opportunities.

Members spoke of the need to engage the hotel industry in ongoing work in order to attract business visitors to the city. 

Following discussion it was

RESOLVED:       That Cabinet agree to:

i)             The Council contributing £869, 000 towards the £4.849m Super-Connected Cities programme, and that this cost be allocated to the Economic Infrastructure Fund. 

ii)            A Digital York Project Board being put in place with the Chief Executive delegated authority to agree its membership and terms of reference.  The Digital York Board to oversee and guide the York Super-Connected Cities Programme.

iii)          A priority for the Board being to prepare a Digital York Strategy and Delivery Plan. ^1.

REASON:           York’s Super-Connected City (SCC) proposals are designed to complement and build on existing digital initiatives underway or planned, to support the need of enhancing York’s digital connectivity. This was recognised in the 2011 Council Plan target of helping to establish a digital infrastructure within the City to provide speeds of 25 megabits per second (Mbits) for the majority of York’s business and residents by the end of 2015 and was in line with the national BDUK targets.