LIZ Saville-Roberts, MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, has called on broadband provider Openreach to urgently resume its Fibre Community Partnership (FCP) scheme.

The scheme, which aims to offer Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband to areas which aren't part of our current rollout plans, has been put on indefinite hold due to an apparent surge in demand.

One community to suffer with the scheme on hold is Bryniau Brithdir, who have a longstanding fibre application in place with Openreach, and have secured the necessary funding to progress with the scheme.

Bryniau Brithdir resident Stuart Marsh said: “I had been chasing Community Fibre all through December, but they were very quiet, I just didn't hear anything from them.

“Eventually, we received a message to say that all Community Fibre projects are on hold.

“We had secured the necessary funding but were told just after Christmas that all projects are on hold.

“We've been promised and promised different things.

“We get to the point of being almost there and it just comes to a grinding halt, and that's the frustrating thing.”

Mrs Saville-Roberts added: “I am deeply concerned that Openreach has taken the decision to put all their community fibre schemes on hold, a move which will understandably disappoint many communities such as residents in Brithdir in my constituency who were led to believe that their scheme was progressing.

“Having reached this point in the process and with the necessary funding in place, my constituents are justifiably frustrated, as am I, at the sudden decision to put all existing community fibre schemes on hold, including those nearing completion.

“I urge Openreach to provide my constituents and others in the same situation, with immediate clarity as to the status of their community fibre application and with a realistic and reliable timescale for completion of works.

“People living in rural areas such as parts of Dwyfor Meirionnydd are already at a disproportionate disadvantage when it comes to accessing fast, reliable broadband.”

In response to correspondence from Mrs Saville-Roberts, Openreach confirmed that all their Fibre Community Partnership (FCP) schemes are now under review, with all existing applications remaining on hold.