Today sees the launch aimed at getting Openreach to build an ultrafast fibre broadband network across the whole of Brightling and a number of neighbouring villages.

The project does not require anyone to spend their own money on the cost of building the upgrade. Instead the cost (a total of nearly £1.2m) will be met by vouchers issued by the DCMS (the Government Department for Culture, Media and Sport). Each residential address is entitled to a £1500 voucher and each business address to £3500 (business includes self-employed, freelancing, home-based business etc).

For the scheme to go ahead, we just need enough people to pledge their vouchers into the scheme. The vouchers are of little practical use to anyone if they are not pledged into a scheme like this, so we hope that everyone will want to go ahead.

If you just want to go ahead and pledge now, please see “How to Pledge” below.

If you have any further questions, see our “Frequently Asked Questions” page. That page also explains how to get in touch if you still have questions after reading it.

How to pledge

Visit https://www.openreach.com/connectmycommunity

Scroll to the bottom of that page, check the robot box, and enter your postcode.

Hopefully the result will be a page saying “Your area is eligible”

At the bottom of that page, please click on the green “Pledge for Netherfield Ultrafast Community Project” (or “Pledge for Manchester Road Ultrafast Project”). That should take you to the pledge form.

• On the pledge form, please check “Sole trader” or “Business” if you can. The scheme will get more money that way. You do not have to be a limited company, but you may be asked to produce some evidence of trading, such as an invoice or bank statement. If you are a business but not a limited company, you can enter 000000 as the Company Number.
• On the pledge form, underneath the boxes for your email address, there is a checkbox “Your postcode has been identified as being eligible for a further local body top-up” Please check this box as well – it gets the scheme more money.
• By pledging your voucher, you are agreeing that you will subscribe to an Ultrafast full fibre service when the project is complete. You will not be held to this if you move house, and nor will the new owner. There are other terms and conditions which you should check.
• If you need more help filling in the pledging form, see our help page on filling in the form
• Finally, please share this with your neighbours and ask them to pledge too.