We have now completed installing duct for 5295 metres out of the 7418 metres of the main incoming trunk route which makes our main route 71% complete. The map below shows sections where we have duct with live fibre blown in in green, sections which have had duct installed in orange and the sections still to be dug in blue.
We have a road crossing to do near the pumping station on Paley Green Lane and once that is in place we will have a continuous incoming route from Armitstead all the way to Hollin Hall. This should be able to be completed via an impact mole which our current B4RN contractor is able to do himself.
Work will be restarting this week to get the remaining sections of the trunk route dug in, our contractor is taking on an extra pair of hands to help with the work. The digging work should only be about another 2 to 3 weeks. We have two further road crossings to get in place on the trunk route – one to cross the Huggon House – Green Farm track which should be an impact mole, and the other a road crossing on Hesley Lane above the Old School which is likely to need to be a road cut which we are awaiting a date on for it to be done.
We are also arranging with B4RN for the control node plinth to be installed in the Reading Room car park following which the control node can be put in place. Once the control node in place and has an incoming fibre connection back into the B4RN network every property that we have reached can be made live and every further property we then reach can also be made live.
Once the work to dig in the trunk route is in place we will look to complete the Phase 1 work by moving on to fill out the various spurs off the main route, the order in which these get done will depend on both availability of access to land and where there are investors’ properties. These spurs include (in no particular order) Tipperthwaite, Rome / Parson’s Green, Close House / Craven Arms, Swaw Beck, Swainstead (n.b. this incorporates the start of the route to Wham) , Green Farm, Old Sawmill, North side of Hesley Lane below the school, Cross Keys / College Fold, Central Rathmell east of Main Street, Gooselands / Field Gate / Cappleside (n.b. this incorporates the start of routes to Wigglesworth / Tosside).
I’m awaiting an up to date figure on overall investment from B4RN and I’ll let you all know as soon as I have that.
Once the Phase 1 dig work is completed we will be looking to move on to other routes or parts of routes either on from Swainstead towards Wham, or from Cappleside towards Tosside or Wigglesworth. This will ultimately be driven by suitable levels of investment being in place to be able to move those routes forward. It would be really useful if I could have a volunteer or two from each of those routes to help liaise with other people on those routes. If people on other routes want to go through a similar exercise as to when we were looking to raise the initial £50k threshold then I am willing to hold on to your cheque, B4RN shares application form and a note from you under which conditions that cheque and form can be submitted to B4RN.