THE county council needs to act quickly to not miss out on money to deal with broadband not-spots in rural areas, according to an MP.

Harriett Baldwin wants Worcestershire County Council to speed up its bidding process to make sure the county gets part of £530 million the Government has put aside to deal with the problem of slow or non-existent broadband in rural areas.

Mrs Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire, said: “Over the past few months I have spoken to representatives of parish councils, local businesses and people 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 such as 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, acknowledged it was an issue at the top of the council’s agenda.

He said: “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.”