Digital | LocalGov


Council signs up to AI trial 11/04/2025 West Berkshire Council has been named as one of 25 local authorities to take part in a government-led artificial intelligence (AI) trial.
Streeting: Care staff to be trained in ‘cutting-edge’ tech 09/04/2025 Social care workers will be trained to use the latest ‘cutting-edge technology’ to help improve the social care system, Wes Streeting has said.
Liverpool bin lorries to measure mobile phone coverage 14/03/2025 Bin lorries and street sweepers in Liverpool are to be used to map the region’s mobile phone coverage from four main providers.
Council approves £2.5m Rose sculptures 06/03/2025 Barnsley Council has approved £2.5m of funding for three Yorkshire Rose sculptures in the town centre.
Government push for AI growth 04/03/2025 AI is here and it is shaping our lives and our society. Chris Holmes, Baron Holmes of Richmond, discusses AI regulation.
New funding for local government to tackle digital exclusion 26/02/2025 The Government has announced that new funding will be available to help local and combined authorities to tackle digital exclusion.
AI and the Pothole Crisis: Learning from 'Down Under’ 04/02/2025 Leo Hanna, executive vice president UK at TechnologyOne, looks at what the UK can learn from Australia when it comes to using AI to identify potholes.
Community Engagement Company Commonplace Acquired by Zencity to Expand UK Platform Capabilities 30/01/2025 Zencity, a global leader in community engagement platforms, has announced its acquisition of UK engagement software company Commonplace.
Council signs off on Europe’s biggest AI data centre 27/01/2025 Hertsmere Borough Council has granted outline planning permission for a £3.75bn data centre which promises to deliver thousands of new jobs.
Government urged to ‘empower’ councils as digital plans unveiled 21/01/2025 Council bosses have urged the Government to ‘empower’ local authorities after it set out new plans to overhaul digital technology and AI usage in public services.
Councils to be banned from making ransomware payments 14/01/2025 Local authorities could be banned from making ransomware payments as part of the Government’s plans to crack down on cybercrime.
Metro mayors back digital transformation 13/01/2025 A study of the manifestos of 12 UK metro mayors has revealed ‘clear alignment’ around digital transformation goals.
Council plans ‘striking’ Yorkshire roses landmark 13/01/2025 Three Yorkshire roses are set to form a ‘striking’ new landmark as part of a Barnsley Council redevelopment project.
Councils to join AI drive 13/01/2025 Local government will be asked to assist in a drive to develop the infrastructure and skills needed to harness the potential of artificial intelligence (AI).
State will operate 'more like a start-up' 10/12/2024 The launch of a £100m fund to pioneer public sector reform and deliver the Government's Plan for Change will see the state operate ‘more like a start-up', a minister has pledged.
Digital advisory group launched for Scotland’s public sector 03/12/2024 A new unit has been formed to develop digital skills across Scotland’s public and third sectors.
UK-first tool developed by Bluesky scores areas green credentials to aid urban planners 29/11/2024 A new tool which allows urban planners to assess tree coverage and access to green space based on a new rule has been developed by Bluesky International.
ShuttleID launches 90-day free trial for local authorities 18/11/2024 ShuttleID, the digital school bus pass platform, has launched a new package designed specifically for use with local authorities.
Rethinking school communications ahead of the PSTN switch-off 06/11/2024 Cardiff Council takes PSTN switch-off as opportunity to rethink school communications, writes Dan York, Local Government Sector Lead, Avaya UK&I.
Not appropriate to remain on X, council says 21/10/2024 Chippenham Town Council has announced it will leave social media platform X amid ‘a significant increase in unfiltered and inappropriate content’.
Councils lack adequate support on AI, research finds 30/09/2024 Local authorities are being left without adequate support to procure AI in the public interest, according to new research.
Care homes invited to adopt AI solutions 24/09/2024 Care homes in Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are being invited to take part in an initiative that uses AI to enhance resident monitoring.
Solar powered bus stop displays improve passenger experience in the Scottish Borders 05/09/2024 Journeo is working with Scottish Borders Council to bring scheduled and live Real Time Passenger Information to remote communities.
Newcastle City Council successfully implements Azul Platform Core 02/09/2024 Newcastle City Council has successfully implemented Azul Platform Core to address critical security vulnerabilities in its Java-based applications.
Taking the lead 19/08/2024 Barley Laing, the UK Managing Director at Melissa, says its time for local government to take the lead in driving efficiencies and change.
LGA: Minister’s stance on hybrid meetings ‘encouraging’ 19/08/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has said it was ‘encouraging’ that the new Government signalled an openness to discussing hybrid council meetings.
Public sector productivity hampered by payroll and HR software limitations 18/07/2024 Nearly half of all public sector organisations across the UK and Ireland are wrangling with payroll and HR systems that are not fit for purpose.
LGA launches framework for digital transformation 12/07/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has launched a new framework to support councils as they digitalise.
App data 'suggests 11.5 million potholes in UK' 02/07/2024 There are five times more defects on British roads than previous estimates, according to data from a dashboard app that uses AI technology.
Levelling up progress ‘glacial’, think tank says 19/06/2024 Progress on levelling up in England has been ‘glacial’ and – according to some metrics – inequality has got worse, a new analysis by the IFS has revealed.
Talking AI in Aberdeen 30/05/2024 Andy MacDonald, Executive Director of Corporate Services at Aberdeen City Council shares his insights and advice on generative AI adoption in local government.
BT: Too many councils failing to engage 21/05/2024 ‘Too many’ councils are failing to engage with telecoms giant BT as it works to switch customers to digital phone lines, the firm has said.
Oracle project costs soar from £3m to £40m 09/05/2024 The budget for replacing an IT system with Oracle has ballooned from £2.6m to almost £40m, councillors in West Sussex have heard.
Councils pay £1m in data breach compensation 03/05/2024 More than £1m has been paid out by 39 councils in compensation for data breaches in the past three years.
SkillGate’s Classroom Booking System - Training course booking made easy! 29/04/2024 Streamline your training course booking operations with SkillGate’s Classroom Booking System.
Leveraging data to reverse the planning staff decline 22/04/2024 Scott Goodwin, divisional director Land, Property and Public Protection, Idox, explains how rapid access to easily consumed data can transform planning teams.
Third council in biometrics warning 12/04/2024 A third council has warned it faces potential fallout from new entry checks at UK borders earmarked for October.
East Herts DC selects Cadcorp for advancing digital planning services 19/03/2024 East Herts District Council (EHDC) has been awarded DLUHC Digital Planning Programme Funding for innovating planning services.
Cyber attack disruption to last weeks 18/03/2024 Leicester City Council expects disruption caused by a recent Cyber attack on the authority to continue until the end of the month.
City council hit by Cyber attack 11/03/2024 IT and phone systems at Leicester City Council remain shut down this week following a cyber incident
Lack of AI policies could have 'catastrophic consequences' 28/02/2024 More than three out of four UK councils do not have usage policies for artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace, according to FOI data.
Mobile connectivity programme costs ‘higher than anticipated’ 22/02/2024 The Government’s programme for expanding 4G mobile connectivity across 95% of the UK by 2025 is behind schedule and is costing more than anticipated.
360 Vision Technology’s Invictus TX wireless camera selected for Heritage site 31/01/2024 360 Vision Technology has been chosen to supply the camera surveillance technology for an historically important English Heritage site at Exeter Quayside.
Socitm: Public sector services must primarily become digital 22/01/2024 Despite extreme pressures on finances and staffing, public sector services must primarily become digital in everything they do, according to a new report from Socitm.
Leveraging tech to tackle black mould 09/01/2024 Deborah Matthews, MRI Software, looks at how arming onsite teams with the right tech can empower social housing providers to be proactive on black mould.
Fears over digital switchover costs 08/01/2024 Councils face multi-million pound bills as a result of the digital switchover of the telephone system.
Alarm sounded on cyber threat to local elections 21/12/2023 Ministers have written to councils to warn of attempted foreign interference in next year’s elections.
Parking meters face disruption from 2G switch off 18/12/2023 Parking meters, alarm systems and telecare devices risk facing disruption when 2G and 3G mobile networks are switched off, council chiefs warn.
Online Safety – Time to Act 08/12/2023 Schools still have work to do despite onus being put on online platforms to conform to new safeguarding legislation, says safeguarding expert Mark Bentley.
Council reprimanded after suffering Cyber attack 28/11/2023 Gloucester City Council has pledged lessons will be learnt following a reprimand from a data watchdog over a Cyber attack.
Councils sign cross border partnership 13/11/2023 Two English councils, Herefordshire and Shropshire, and two Welsh county councils, Monmouthshire and Powys, have signed a partnership agreement.
It’s a speed thing: digital transformation in local government 01/11/2023 Adrian Trickett, Vice President of Sales and General Manager of EMEA at Boomi, discusses why digital transformation projects in local government fail.
Council websites referred to equality watchdogs 30/10/2023 Some 56 local government websites have been referred to equality watchdogs in the last year.
Getting ready for Biodiversity Net Gain 23/10/2023 Dr Robin McArthur, chair of the Joe's Blooms Advisory Board, discusses Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and what local authorities should do to prepare.
Cadcorp launches new EPC Data Service 05/10/2023 Cadcorp has launched a new cloud hosted data service, providing Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings for all residential properties in Great Britain.
Budgetary Breaking Point: Learning from Birmingham’s mistakes 04/10/2023 Claire Agutter from Scopism takes a look at why Birmingham CC's predicament is not an isolated case and how other councils can learn from their mistakes.
Government pledges £60m innovation investment 04/10/2023 The Government has pledged to invest £60m into an innovation fund to support universities in areas with lower levels of research and development investment.
Scam warning amid digital switchover 18/09/2023 Criminals are exploiting the analogue to digital switchover to scam users of health care telephony devices into giving personal information, councils warn.
Wales to consider funding bids straddling English border 11/09/2023 Wales’ economy minister has said he would consider funding bids from a new council partnership that crosses the Welsh and English border.
Tech firm urges Government to overhaul welfare systems 30/08/2023 We Are Digital has called on the Government to tear up ‘outdated and siloed’ welfare models and implement an approach that could save councils millions.
Welsh and English councils announce new partnership 30/08/2023 Councils on either side of the border between Wales and England are set to join a partnership in a bid to seek Government funding.
Council hit by suspected ransomware attack 25/08/2023 St Helens Borough Council has put in place extra security measures after a suspected ransomware attack on its IT systems and networks.
Liverpool to provide 4,500 tablets to tackle digital exclusion 18/08/2023 More than 4,500 people in the Liverpool City Region will receive free tablets, internet access and training as part of a scheme to bridge the UK’s ‘digital divide’.
Cyber-attack hit Electoral Commission 08/08/2023 Information held by the Electoral Commission was accessed by 'hostile actors,' the watchdog has revealed.
Increased connectivity means increased community 08/08/2023 Nick Wiggin, Freshwave, looks at the relationship between connectivity and community, and discusses the importance of digital champions.
How social housing professionals can combat cyber-attacks 07/08/2023 How can the sector’s IT professionals safeguard their tech stacks? John Blackburn, Central Networks, outlines some crucial steps to implement.
UPRNs are the embodiment of data provenance. Are you ready? 07/08/2023 Fiona Barron, Land Data, and Steven Brandwood, Engagement, GeoPlace, discuss the importance of keeping the UPRN conversation going at the local level.
Councils urged to bid for 5G funding 31/07/2023 Local authorities across the UK have been invited to bid for shares of a £40m fund to support their adoption of 5G and other advanced wireless technology.
Digital champions important for broadband ‘consistency’ 18/07/2023 The Government should consider requiring councils to have a digital champion to help improve the UK’s rollout of fast broadband, a new study has concluded.
Waltham Forest Council appoints Voicescape to help drive up Council Tax collections 12/07/2023 Voicescape has strengthened its public sector position, after being appointed by Waltham Forest Council – its sixth local gov client win in the last year.
Getting tech-savvy Gen Z into the social care sector 07/07/2023 Rajiv Tanna, co-founder and CPO of birdie, looks at how technology can help the social care sector appeal to younger generations.
More councillors feel at risk of abuse 06/07/2023 The number of local councillors who have reported feeling at risk in their role due to abuse and intimidation has increased in the last year, LGA finds.
How to support your local businesses more effectively to safeguard their future 29/06/2023 Destin Solutions has worked with one local authority to help them get to grips with their local business landscape through the smarter use of data.
Majority of councils support return of virtual meetings 29/06/2023 Most councils would like to be able to reintroduce virtual meetings to support the recruitment and retention of councillors, a new survey has revealed.
Can technology solve the care crisis? We certainly think so. 28/06/2023 Jody O'Neill, CEO of Curam, the UK's largest online platform for care workers, looks at the role of technology in solving the care crisis.
‘Smart multi-purpose' lamp post pilots launched 14/06/2023 Ministers have announced up to £1.5m for six local authority-led pilots to test the capacity for lamp posts to deliver smart services such as EV charging.
Orlo, first social media management platform in the world to integrate with Nextdoor 13/06/2023 Orlo, the UK’s number one social media management platform, announces a first of its kind API integration with Nextdoor, the neighbourhood network.
Councils wait for Capita reassurance 02/06/2023 Unhappy councils are seeking assurances from revenues and benefits software supplier Capita there will be no more data breaches after a number of incidents.
Council helps Premier League stop £7m streaming fraud 31/05/2023 Five men who illegally streamed Premier League matches have been jailed following a trading-standards investigation led by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.
How AI can assist councils with social housing allocations 30/05/2023 Charlie Green, Comparesoft, looks at how incorporating machine learning with asset management can help councils manage social housing allocation.
List of councils impacted by Capita data breach grows 19/05/2023 The number of local authorities impacted by Capita’s most recent data breach has risen to five.
Councils to take ‘swift’ action after data breach 17/05/2023 Local authorities say they are taking action to deal with a data breach by the revenues and benefits software supplier, Capita.
Jersey selects BridgeHead’s HealthStore® to manage medical images 12/05/2023 The Government of Jersey’s has contracted BridgeHead Software to implement HealthStore® to consolidate all medical images in an accessible central repository.
BridgeHead’s HealthStore® Wins 2023 MedTech Breakthrough Award 12/05/2023 Prestigious international annual awards program recognizes standout digital health & medical technology products and companies.
Shropshire Council welcomes £24m broadband contract 10/05/2023 Shropshire Council welcomes the announcement of a multi-million-pound investment into high-speed full-fibre broadband.
Councils warned against banning TikTok 24/04/2023 A national body made up of organisations working together to raise standard of communications in the public sector has warned councils against banning TikTok.
Cyber attack led to data breach 21/04/2023 Capita has admitted data was stolen during a Cyber attack that disrupted council services.
Councils disclose 1,500 data breaches 19/04/2023 UK councils have disclosed almost 1,500 data breaches in a year, according to a survey.
New safeguarding software to transform collaboration between councils and schools 18/04/2023 Software company CPOMS has developed a first-of-its-kind solution to transform the way councils work with schools to log and manage safeguarding concerns.
New North Yorkshire Council urged to live stream meetings 17/04/2023 Councillors in Scarborough have urged the new North Yorkshire Council to live stream all its meetings online to improve transparency and cut down on travel.
Labour pledges to revitalise high streets 12/04/2023 Labour will today promote its plan to revitalise ailing high streets through a £700m fund to help small businesses with soaring energy bills.
Milton Keynes City Council offsets rising energy prices with Telensa smart street lighting 11/04/2023 Milton Keynes CC forecasts that Telensa smart street lighting will deliver annual energy savings of over 60% and carbon savings equivalent to five million kWh.
Don’t force drivers to pay for parking with smartphones, Gove says 06/04/2023 Levelling-up secretary Michael Gove has told councils they must not force drivers to use smartphones to pay for parking spaces.
Social care workforce funding halved 04/04/2023 Government plans to digitise the care sector and bolster the workforce have come under fire after it emerged they would mean cutting workforce funding.
Cyber attack hits councils 04/04/2023 Councils have reported disruption to their call centres after a Cyber attack on outsourcing giant Capita.
Motorists face digital exclusion from car parks, MPs warn 30/03/2023 MPs have asked the Government to help motorists who have problems parking because of increasing use of mobile technology apps.
Restore Records Management works with HM Land Registry to digitise files 21/03/2023 Restore Records Management has been working with HM Land Registry to digitise historic files that include a property lease to drive service efficiencies.
Cambridgeshire set to see broadband boost with £69m contract 21/03/2023 Around 45,000 people in rural Cambridgeshire are set to see an improvement in their broadband thanks to a multi-million-pound Project Gigabit agreement.
Why this is the year councils look to business intelligence 10/03/2023 Mark Cobb, CEO, Cantium Business Solutions argues that business intelligence can help local authorities transform service delivery.
Vemotion reveal latest streaming solutions at Security & Policing 2023 08/03/2023 Vemotion reveal latest cyber secure, video streaming solutions for cellular and satellite at Security & Policing 2023.