AREAS in Craven with no mobile phone coverage - ‘not spots’ - could be about to see an improvement after North Yorkshire County Council secured £1 million from the area’s local growth fund.

The money, from the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership’s Local Growth Fund will go toward’s the county council’s mobile phone coverage improvement programme, which in the last three months has seen improved coverage in some areas in Craven.

In order for the programme to be a success, and for those in ‘not spots’ to at last receive coverage, the council is working with the main phone operators, and with planning authorities - such as Craven District Council and the Yorkshire Dales National Park to secure the necessary planning permissions for masts, which are not always welcomed by communities.?

Areas which should recently have seen improvements, through a combination of new masts and upgrades to 4G, are in West Marton, Thornton-in-Lonsdale and Wigglesworth.

Now, in order to identify those areas in need, the council has commissioned an independent survey of the whole county, including Craven, to find those areas with no current coverage.

The findings will form the basis of a report which will allow the council to identify ‘not spots’ where it may be able to invest in new mobile phone infrastructure.

County councillor Don Mackenzie, North Yorkshire’s executive member for access, said improving mobile phone coverage was vital to the economic growth of the county.

“Without this investment, the competitive edge of our businesses would be affected,” he said.

“Improved coverage will support business growth and tourism, it will help to remove social isolation and will help our young people to build futures within their communities.”

In addition to identifying its ‘not spots’, the council is working with leading phone operators, EE, Vodaphone, 02 and Three, which it says is essential to the success of the programme.

Cllr Mackenzie added: “We expect to continue to improve coverage, working together with mobile phone operators, planning departments in district councils and Mobile UK, the industry body representing the operators.”

The programme builds on the council’s work to develop the county’s digital infrastructure, including its investment in bringing high-speed broadband access to remote communities. It supports the authority’s ‘Plan for Growth’, which sets out an ambition to increase good-quality jobs, improve access to economic opportunities and boost average wages.