A MULTI-MILLION pound scheme to bring faster internet connections to Worcestershire is about to get under way – and now is your last chance to make a difference.

Council chiefs are inviting residents and businesses to take part in a major survey into their future broadband needs.

It comes as Worcestershire County Council prepares to crack on with an £11.8 million project to overhaul web speeds.

The council will issue a final tender to broadband suppliers next month – essentially showing evidence of how much people need better, more reliable web speeds.

Pauline Harris, the programme manager, said: “Faster broadband is absolutely essential for business growth and to ensure our residents can use online services to ensure Worcestershire is not left behind.”

People can say how broadband speeds affect them by visiting worcestershire.gov.uk/ broadband by Monday, April 8. The money is aimed at providing superfast broadband to 90 per cent of homes and businesses by 2015, currently defined as 30 megabits per second, with rural areas the priority.

Little Witley, the North-West Malvern Parish Consor-tium comprising the parishes of Bockleton, Kyre, Hanley, Rochford, Eastham, Lindridge and Mamble and Bayton, are among the areas set to benefit from the cash.

The rest include the Redditch Travel Arc Consortium, Tibberton, Crowle, Hanbury, Stock and Bradley, and Feckenham. All of the areas have speeds among the lowest in Worcestershire, and already lag behind Worcester.

Of the funding, £8.5 million has come from County Hall as part of a project called Connnecting Worcestershire.

The remaining £3.3 million was forwarded on from the Government.

Bosses say more than 2,000 homes, 50 businesses and 70 farms will benefit from the cash.

There are also hopes future Government grant bids could be made to modernise broadband speeds even further.

On top of the council-led work, BT is planning to roll out a next-generation service delivered over copper lines to 4,600 properties in Tenbury Wells and Wolverley over the next year.