Shepway communities are set to benefit from nearly £1 million to be given to communities to help provide broadband services.

Kent County Council has announced that two areas in the Shepway District have been successful in the first round of bids for Superfast Rural Broadband.

The winners of the Superfast Rural Broadband Round One bids include the Shepway's Lympne and Stanford Partnership and Lydd-on-Sea, Greatstone and Dungeness.

Other winners across the county are Godmersham and Crundale Parish Council, Ashford, Stansted Parish Council, Tonbridge and Malling and Goudhurst Parish Council, Tunbridge Wells.

County Councillor for Elham Valley, Susan Carey said: "One of the judging panel told me that Shepway's involvement in the bids had been a big factor in their success.

"I also know that the work Kevin and Elizabeth Lohse did in Stanford with a survey of every house in the parish also helped. I'm really pleased for both Stanford and Lympne and hope that we can soon do the same for other rural areas."

County Councillor for Romney Marsh Carole Waters was also delighted on behalf of Lydd-on-Sea, Greatstone and Dungeness.

The grant will be available for others to bid for in the summer and autumn when the next two phases are launched.

Kent County Council has already been running a separate Community Broadband scheme, which since 2006 has given £717,000 to 16 parishes to help install new broadband.

The successful winners of the Community Broadband scheme are: Sandgate Community Trust - Shepway, Eythorne Parish Council - Dover, Kingston Parish Council - Canterbury, Rolvenden Parish Council - Ashford, Yalding Parish Council - Maidstone 

Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News 2011©