CONCERNS have been raised that some areas are being left behind as the rollout of superfast broadband continues.

A campaign has been launched by a councillor to get a rural telephone cabinet upgraded as part of the scheme.

Cllr Matthew Riddle (Con, Severn) has joined forces with Shepperdine resident Matt Morgans to get cabinet 23, on the junction of the Naite and Oldbury Lane in Oldbury, included in the programme.

The cabinet was not part of the most recent expansion of the broadband rollout and Mr Morgans says the lack of coverage is affecting his work and children’s education.

“Having just moved into Shepperdine from Thornbury we have noticed a big difference in internet speeds with the service being extremely slow in Shepperdine or dropping out altogether.

“We’ve only moved three miles but it might as well have been three thousand. While living in Thornbury we were getting downstream speeds of over 60Mbps but since moving we are lucky to get 1Mbps.

“This is affecting our children's education and my work. It’s clearly a lottery based on where you live and if you are fortunate enough to be connected to a fibre enabled cabinet.”

Cllr Riddle said: “The primary cabinet 23 is not in the programme and I am pressing for it to be included.

“Cabinet 23 in Oldbury Lane serves a number of homes in Shepperdine, The Naite and Oldbury Lane, but other homes in that area are served by cabinet 22.

“We could end up with one family getting better broadband and the house next door missing out unless cabinet 23 is also upgraded."

He added: “When I recently checked with council officers they confirmed that the cabinet 22 at the Sheepwash in Oldbury and the Aust cabinet off Passage Road are now in the programme."

A South Gloucestershire Council spokesman said: "The cabinet in Shepperdine is not currently included in the Great Western Broadband project's rollout plans. However, we will continue to try and push the coverage as far as possible within the available funding.

"We have already exceeded our target to cover 10,000 premises in the programme by the autumn and last week we were able to announce an additional 1,000 rural homes and businesses in South Gloucestershire are to benefit from the rollout of high-speed fibre broadband within the existing funding thanks to the partnership between South Gloucestershire Council, Wiltshire Council and BT.

"Extending the rollout will increase the total number of premises served by the project to at least 16,000 when completed in spring 2015. When our original target was 15,000 premises."

To find out more about the broadband rollout programme visit www.southglos.gov.uk/broadband.