Council urged to bid for cash from failed phone-mast project

Northumberland County Councillor Steven Bridgett at the launch of Rothbury and Mid Coquetdale neighbourhood plan

Earlier this month, the Gazette reported how Northumberland County Council is calling on the area’s MPs to investigate the project that was supposed to deliver better mobile-phone coverage for 20 communities in the county.

So far, of the installations that had been expected through the Government’s £150million Mobile Infrastructure Project, only two masts are expected to be operational before the end of the project on March 31. A company called Arqiva was commissioned to deliver the project.

Coun Bridgett said: “The project has been a disaster from start to finish. In the area I represent, we would have benefited from at least five new masts.

“I am pleased to note, however, that the door has potentially been left open for the local authority to bid for some of the remaining funding to try to address the problems at a local community level. I will be writing to the county council’s Leader and Chief Executive asking them to put a bid together.”