⚠️ Archived Content
This page relates to the 2019–2024 National Park Management Plan, which is now archived. For the latest aims and objectives, please visit the 2025–30 Management Plan landing page.
Connect Grassington, Hawes, Reeth and Sedbergh to fibre-to-the-premises broadband by 2024, and secure at least the Universal Service Obligation (10 mbps) for the rest of the National Park.
How the local partners are doing on this objective
Progress: The four main settlements in the National Park all have superfast or better broadband.
In the Cumbria area of the National Park, 97% of properties can access broadband speeds of at least 10Mbps, and 54% have gigabyte broadband. Detailed figures are not available for the North Yorkshire area of the National Park.
Press Releases & related articles
11 April 2022 – Hyperfast broadband ‘game changer’ for remote dale
Rationale: Businesses in the National Park are physically remote from their markets but high-quality broadband can overcome a lot of the barriers, and open up opportunities for new, high-tech businesses and home-working . Broadband for the Rural North has demonstrated that this is realistic and achievable in rural areas, without the need for a proliferation of masts. The Government announced in December 2017 that consumers will have a right to request a connection. A universal service provider will be obliged to build all reasonable requests up to a cost threshold (£3,400 proposed).
Lead partner: North Yorkshire Council; Westmorland & Furness Council; Lancashire County Council;
Supporting partners: Broadband for the Rural North; North Yorkshire Council; Westmorland & Furness Council; Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority; Parish Councils
Further information: Broadband for the Rural North; Superfast North Yorkshire; Connecting Cumbria; Superfast Lancashire
Cost over 5 years: n/a
Funding shortfall: n/a
Related objectives: A1; A9; D6; E2; E3; E8 E9; F4; F5; F6
Ecosystem services: None
Trade-offs: The rollout of improved broadband connections will create the need to replace or upgrade existing infrastructure, either by installing cabinets fed by fibre connections, or taking the fibre direct to the premises by overhead cables or underground ducting. These improvements are classed as ‘permitted development’ so are not scrutinised through the planning system, but are generally unobtrusive so are unlikely to result in significant impacts on visual amenity. Where underground ducting is the predominant method of delivering fibre connections the impact from ground disturbance (for example on archaeology and wildlife) needs considering, especially for the ‘soft dig’ deployment models, however mole ploughing and blowing the fibre through ducting normally limits impacts.
Baseline: None of the 4 service centres had Fibre-to-the-premises (March 2019).
‘State of the Park’ indicator – YES