Cambridge fibre broadband deal could fall through

Plans for a £20 million investment in Cambridge's fibre optic broadband infrastructure could be compromised after the area's county council described them as "over-ambitious".

The project was devised by the region's former Council Leader Nick Clarke, but funding for the plans is built largely on borrowings. This is something that has made the authority's new boss, Councillor Martin Curtis, wary about their implementation. 

He explained that a city deal with central government, which would free up public funding, is a prerequisite to the upgrade.

Mr Curtis said: "If we have to rein in our ambitions because the government don't give us the full city deal, we will have to slow down infrastructure development and, in turn, slow down economic growth."

The plans to upgrade to superfast speeds are part of a wider project that would see £610 million invested in the region's infrastructure, with improvements to road surfaces and education facilities also in the pipeline.