An innovative Odiham business which is speeding up legal procedures for broadband providers has won the Business Product and Innovation Award at this year’s Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) UK Celebrating Small Business Awards.

Trenches Law has created a solution which automates the so-called “wayleave” process that broadband providers need to conduct before installing new networks.

Prior to the product’s development, securing wayleaves involved scouring the Land Registry for hours before securing sign-off from property owners for broadband infrastructure.

Trenches Law’s solution automates the investigation, creation and distribution of wayleaves without the need for laborious desk work.

Sharon McDermott, managing director and co-founder of Trenches Law, said: “After working so hard on a product which has already helped so many, it’s fantastic to receive this recognition from FSB.

“Too often you see resistance to innovation in the legal sector – big City firms that want to keep manual processes in place and charge high fees for long hours.

“That’s why we moved to create change in this area. By automating the wayleave process, we’re improving connectivity for communities all over the UK.”

FSB national chairman Martin McTague said: “Trenches Law is a shining example of how cutting edge our small business community can be, creating a much-needed tech-based solution from scratch.”