Lake District: Experts meet to discuss region's connectivity

This visit is part of the UK’s Shared Rural Network Project, which aims to improve network coverage across remote areas in the country.

Director of property and estates and general counsel at Cornerstone, Belinda Fawcett, led the contingent on December 1.

Joining her was local MP Simon Fell and Jonathan Harris of Connecting Cumbria, accompanied by acquisition and planning specialists.

The team interacted with local stakeholders and community members, with the objective of gathering information on the present connectivity infrastructure in the National Park.

They also aimed to understand how the lack of adequate coverage impacts local residents, visitors, and business owners.

During the visit, Ms Fawcett said: "As part of the UK Government’s multi-million-pound Shared Rural Network project, Cornerstone continues to develop a network of base stations to ensure the infrastructure needed by the mobile operators to improve connectivity in rural areas is available.

"Listening to the communities around these potential developments is vital and allows Cornerstone to understand their concerns and address these in the initial stages of our proposals."

MP Simon Fell added to these sentiments: "I was very glad to welcome this group to rural Furness to host a discussion on the importance of rolling out better mobile coverage to some of our most rural communities.

"Hosting this forum in Grizebeck was essential - constituents only a stone’s throw away know the challenges that poor connectivity can bring first hand: inability to access services like banking online, a risk to life in winter months as climbers and walkers get stranded, and young people leaving the community, to name just a few."

He concluded by confirming that the discussion feedback would be presented to the secretary of state, in order to facilitate the roll-out of more effective connectivity in regions where it's required the most.