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May 2021 May 2021

rural and hard to reach parts of the county and will help put Dorset on the digital BURGH ISLAND
map. It will of course still leave many rural residents waiting for this service.
This is alongside our ground-breaking 5G RuralDorset project which continues to No one could fail to be impressed
receive recognition, as well as other our broadband interventions will in time with their first sight of Burgh Island. As
increase both fixed-line and mobile connectivity in the County. This follows we descended the steep hill in the
months of behind-the-scenes lobbying for better broadband in Dorset - led by car, it was there, majestic, cool and
West Dorset MP Chris Loder and myself. Projects will prioritise Dorset areas that serene, like a pop up in a children’s
currently have slow connections and will be predominantly aimed at schools and book. A grand carpet of sand
doctors’ surgeries. Dorset has almost 96 per cent superfast coverage thanks to seemed to have been especially
the council’s partnership with Openreach, which began nine years ago. rolled out from the mainland for our
However, when it comes to the next generation of gigabit capable broadband, visit, the sun shone brightly and the
Dorset only has seven per cent coverage, compared with 38 per cent nationally. sky was an azure blue. Perfect!
We have a letter from the Digital Minister supporting our programme and in it two
links below, which are of relevance to the project, particularly those who are in We negotiated the Devon lanes
very hard to reach premises with care, some so narrow that we
had to reverse to let oncoming
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-launches-new-5bn-project- traffic through, but now we were in the giant car park and the whole place was
gigabit heaving with holidaymakers. At 4 O’clock in the afternoon, it was a very busy

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-broadband-for-very- scene and there seemed no place to park the car.
hard-to-reach-premises Finally, we found a parking space and negotiated the steep steps down on to the
sands. There, the giant sand bar was exposed by the sea until the tide came in.

High tide was at 8 O’clock that evening so the sands were filled with
St Mary’s School near Shaftsbury holidaymakers enjoying the day.
Local people and community groups have given their views on the future of We made our way slowly across the
the former St Mary’s school site near Shaftesbury. Of the 1,400 people who causeway through the basking
responded to the recent throng and up the boat launching
survey from Dorset Council, slipway onto the island. The famous
an overwhelming 92 per sea tractor was there in all its glory
cent expressed their waiting to ply its trade when the tide
support for the site to came in. This is provided by the
continue to be used for hotel to ferry its guests to and from
educational purposes. The the island at high tide.
majority, 89 per cent
favoured using the site as a The Burgh Island Hotel sits on the top
SEND (special educational of the eastern side of the island and
needs and or disabilities) looks a wonderful place to stay. The
school. Dorset residents also hotel now completely restored to its
backed the idea of former glory, was built in 1929, a truly iconic building depicting the art deco
creating complementary facilities for vulnerable children, young people and feeling of elegance and romance. Little wonder that such luminaries as Agatha
adults alongside its educational purpose, (82 per cent). The responses will now be Christie and Noel Coward flocked there in its heyday.
carefully considered before a decision on the future of the site is made at an
upcoming meeting of Dorset Council’s Cabinet. When I first came to swim a couple of years ago, I thought it would be nice to
spend the night there. A quick trawl of the hotel’s website told me that the
cheapest rooms were £370 per night for bed and breakfast and I quickly went off

the idea!

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