West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin today called on the county council to speed up its work to pitch for money to fund rural broadband projects. The statement follows the news that the Government is handing a share of a £530 million pot to local bodies to support projects to delivering broadband services to so-called ‘not-spots’. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has agreed to hand the money directly to local authorities and bodies which will fund local projects to improve broadband services. Many rural areas in Worcestershire suffer from poor broadband connections and Harriett has been an active campaigner working with the Government, BT and other private providers to find solutions. She commented: “Over the past few months I have spoken to the representatives of parish councils, local businesses and local residents to understand the extent of this problem in West Worcestershire. “It is great news that superfast broadband is coming to some parts of Worcestershire but it is clear that in some areas the service is just not acceptable and I have urged the county council to co-ordinate a response and seek funds to solve this ongoing blight on county homes and businesses. “Counties like Wiltshire, Norfolk, Devon and Somerset have already been given money after successful bids and I do not want Worcestershire to be left behind. “It is now essential that the county council speeds up its planning process to make sure that the county gets a fair share of this important funding.” Adrian Hardman, leader of Worcestershire County Council added: “I agree that this is now one of Worcestershire's top priorities. “We are working on preparing an excellent bid for the next round of funding and we aim to have a plan to reach the slow spots and the "not-spots" in rural areas, as well as working with the private sector to get faster broadband in the urban areas of Worcestershire."