An ex-Midsomer Norton business has spoken out this week, stating a lack of efficient internet provision for the town as the reason for relocating away from the High Street. Burfield Creative, a design agency which was located in Midsomer Norton for eight years, say that the office was too close to British Telecom for fibre optic broadband to be a priority. This poses the question of whether regenerating the town would be worth it, unless the issue of better broadband access is addressed.

Burfield Creative’s only other option was spending £10,000 a year to lease a line in order to get the band width they needed to provide an efficient service. “BT could not give us any information on when the area would be upgraded, meaning at any time our investment could be undermined,” said company founder, James Burfield.

While superfast fibre optic broadband is available in patches across the Somer Valley, certain areas are unable to be connected, due to over-capacity or exchanges needing to be upgraded. Businesses in Midsomer Norton Town Centre, for example, are unable to get fibre optic broadband unless they lease a line, putting yet more financial strain on those wishing to trade in the High Street.

Eye Tech IT, in Midsomer Norton, is one such company having to lease a line in order to provide their customers with the best service. The company will be running an event in Bath, talking to B&NES Council, BT representatives and Members of Parliament about the area’s need for faster internet speeds (See Page 20). Unfortunately, the majority of the B&NES area is currently being overlooked by BT, as not enough businesses and residents have registered interest in receiving fibre optic.

Representatives from Eye Tech met with Midsomer Norton Mayor, Paul Myers, this week to discuss the issue of needing faster internet service in the town to attract new business to the High Street.

“If we can get enough businesses registered in Bath to push it through, then BT will see the area as being more viable and update the exchanges”, says Stuart Clark, from Eye Tech IT. “Once this happens in Bath, it will begin to roll out across other areas and help those in places like Midsomer Norton, Westfield and Radstock.”

With more and more being transferred online and using the internet in everyday life, businesses will have to look to expand and develop in areas that can provide efficient broadband – so where does that leave the Somer Valley?

Paul Myers, Mayor of Midsomer Norton, adds: “This is not just an issue of not having fast internet, yes, broadband is an important issue, but there is also a lack of business premises in Midsomer Norton. Westfield is a great industrial area, but Midsomer Norton needs space and units too.”

Creating more space for companies to settle would be good for the economic well-being of any area, but if those companies can’t work efficiently, due to a lack of reliable internet, is it unlikely they will come to Midsomer Norton and its surrounding areas to begin with?

The Somer Valley Chamber of Commerce, with Eye Tech IT’s help, aims to unite business owners in Midsomer Norton, so that their need for fibre optic becomes more viable to providers.

Currently, Midsomer Norton’s businesses are primarily shop fronts, however, even those working in these premises would benefit from faster internet, allowing them to answer customer queries, store data and place orders more quickly and efficiently. Having fibre optic in place in the town would also enable digital companies the opportunity to work in the area, as well as allow more people to be able to work from home. Residents in the area, especially those receiving Universal Credit, which is managed online, would also benefit from having reliable, fast broadband.

Speaking to The Journal, Jacob Rees-Mogg, MP for North East Somerset, said that he had been watching recent developments in the High Street closely, following months of roadworks and the loss of Casswells. He said: “Losing a business of this kind was a great shock – it was something that everyone had known forever and was such a useful shop with everything you’d ever want.

“In rural areas, our economic future depends on broadband quality, particularly now that most of our heavy industry has gone – we need this service to compete in our area. The situation of being too close to the telephone exchange is most peculiar; you would think it would be the reverse.

“I have been in correspondence about this issue and have recently seen the plans for transatlantic cable to help better speeds in areas such as Chew Magna.

“Better broadband is the key to regeneration – it is absolutely essential and there will always be a need for it to be faster. New companies coming to the area will expect speeds such as those provided in certain cities, and anything less will be a disincentive to come. We have to be ready to do business in Midsomer Norton – yes, the roads have been constrained, but that is true of nearly every road within the country at present.”

There are pockets of fibre optic within the area. Developers working on a new housing estate in Chilcompton, for example, are in the process of installing fibre optic BT Infinity Broadband into the village due to homeowners’ requests. If residents of a rural village can be connected, surely a town centre with working businesses can be as well?

It is hoped that Eye Tech’s event will allow BT to gauge the needs of the area and start rolling out Infinity more widely. Speaking at this week’s meeting, Paul Myers said: “I am proud that a Midsomer Norton business is leading this campaign with B&NES for the benefit of the whole town.”