Guarantees wanted on 'superfast' broadband cash

South Somerset Council said it is unsure it would get anything for its £640,000

More than £600,000 of rural broadband funds will be held back because a council has "no confidence" businesses in the area will get faster internet.

South Somerset District Council leader, Ric Pallister, said it had not been able to get any undertakings from BT on what it would get for its money.

But he said the authority was "absolutely committed to broadband" and the money "remains on the table".

Neither BT nor Somerset County Council were prepared to comment.

'Surrounded by secrecy'

The project, which would see a further 5% of properties in Devon and Somerset connected, is in addition to the Connecting Devon and Somerset plan - which should ensure 90% of the two counties have broadband access "by the end of 2016".

Mr Pallister, who is a Liberal Democrat, said BT could not tell the council what it would get for its money or how it would benefit people and businesses in South Somerset.

He said: "The whole process is surrounded by secrecy so-no one can tell us what we're going to get.

"Even if they did tell us we couldn't tell anyone else.

"We don't have any confidence at the moment that we'll get anything for South Somerset [for our £640,000].

"The leaders of Mendip District Council and Taunton Deane Borough Council have told me they are not happy with the current situation either."

Connecting Devon and Somerset is a public-private partnership of six local authorities (Somerset, Devon, North Somerset, Torbay, Plymouth and Bath and North East Somerset) and BT as the provider, with Somerset County Council accountable for the programme.