Digital Transformation, AI and Local Government: The Case for Workforce Upskilling
The new LocalGov and Multiverse report explores how workforce upskilling is driving smarter, more efficient, and inclusive local government transformation.
Council urges Government to make all primary schools ‘smartphone-free’
19/12/2025 A council is urging the Government to bring in a ban on smart phones in all primary schools in England. |
Epping Forest DC approves Google data centre outline plans
15/12/2025 Epping Forest District Council has backed outline planning applications for a Google data centre that could reportedly generate nearly 800 jobs. |
Council launches AI-informed flood planning trial
05/12/2025 Northumberland County Council is trialling AI-enabled technology to support more efficient flood planning decisions. |
AI in Local Government: Success, ROI and real efficiency
21/10/2025 AI is transforming local government. But councils must balance efficiency with ethics, transparency, and citizen trust, says Matt Culpin of IEG Group. |
Parking apps prove unpopular among drivers
10/10/2025 Over 70% of motorists have struggled while using mobile apps for parking payments over the last year, data reveals. |
CoastCraft: Minecraft launches climate change game
06/10/2025 Cornwall Council and partners have launched an interactive learning tool to teach young people about climate change and coastal erosion. |
Tewkesbury BC launches digital strategy
01/10/2025 Tewkesbury Borough Council has developed a three-year digital strategy to create ‘resilient, efficient and innovative services’. |
AI home care tool could ease health service strain
16/09/2025 An AI-enabled medical app could reduce the burden on overstretched local health services. |
From Promise to Practice: Turning Care Technology Insight into Better Lives
05/08/2025 Councils can improve adult social care by embedding digital care technology insight into practice—boosting outcomes, reducing costs, and scaling what works. |
Gloucestershire to benefit from ‘transformative’ technology park project
10/07/2025 Developers have confirmed plans to build a Nuclear and Clean Energy Technology Park in Gloucestershire. |
Ipswich BC confirms pioneering digital heritage project
27/06/2025 Ipswich Borough Council is rolling out a digital binocular scheme to celebrate local heritage sites. |
Local authority invests in GPS collars for cattle
22/05/2025 Cambridge City Council has been forced to adopt a high-tech solution to stop cows grazing on common land from falling into the River Cam. |
Government backs ‘one app fits all’ parking platform
21/05/2025 The Government has committed to delivering simpler parking nationwide through the roll out of a ‘one app fits all’ parking platform. |
Local authority launches robot pilot project in schools
09/05/2025 Wakefield Council is set to trial a pilot project involving robots, enabling students to engage in school remotely. |
AI tools could save councils £8bn
07/05/2025 The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) tools could save local authorities in England and Wales £8bn a year, think tank says. |
Councils struggling to make case for preventative digital care
29/04/2025 Local authorities are struggling to make the investment case for preventative digital care, according to a commission looking at proactive care services. |
LGA signs digital transformation agreement
24/04/2025 The Local Government Association has signed an agreement with trade association techUK to drive forward digital transformation within local government. |
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. |
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. |
Barnet schools aim to become smartphone free
17/02/2025 Schools in the London borough of Barnet have launched an initiative to stop pupils bringing in smartphones. |
Amazon picks Darlington for first UK drone deliveries
28/01/2025 Global retailer Amazon has chosen Darlington for the UK launch of drone deliveries. |
BT axes EV charger scheme – after installing just one of 60,000
17/01/2025 BT Group has scrapped plans to convert street cabinets into public electric vehicle (EV) chargers after installing just one. |
Use technology to support, smartly
08/01/2025 The national body for home adaptations, Foundations, is urging OTs to optimise the use of technology to support efficiency. AAT is already ahead of the game. |
Wrexham saves £32,000 with smart water sensors
06/01/2025 Sensors that detect how much water flowerbeds need have saved Wrexham County Borough Council £32,000 over seven months, according to a report. |
'Own goal' as £20m traffic signals fund cancelled
15/11/2024 The Labour government has cancelled a £20m fund for highway authorities to deploy advanced technology for traffic control, which councils had already bid for. |
Omni expands into Govtech with acquisition of Infoshare and CIPFA software assets
13/11/2024 Omni Partners ("Omni") is pleased to announce its acquisition of Infoshare, a leader in data management, alongside two key software solutions from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA): AssetManager.net (an advanced asset management platform) and CIPFAStats+ (an interactive data analysis tool). |
Utilising self-service capabilities for local government
06/11/2024 Anthony Lamoureux, CEO of Velocity Smart Technology, discusses how council services can shift to a fully self-service model to cut costs. |
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. |
360 Vision Technology ‘Hybrid’ cameras enable an economical analogue-to-IP transition for Plymouth City Council
04/09/2024 360 Vision Technology has enabled a flexible, CCTV town centre network extension and replacement programme for Plymouth City Council. |
New Vemotion Polecam takes rapid deployment surveillance to the next level
04/09/2024 Vemotion Interactive, the leading UK manufacturer of video streaming solutions, has launched a new version of their popular Polecam rapid deployment camera. |
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. |
SWARCO UK & Ireland awarded new major service and maintenance agreement with five West Anglian councils
29/07/2024 SWARCO UK & Ireland has been awarded a new long-term service and maintenance contract for traffic signals and signage across five different council areas. |
Award-winning Caseload Manager outperforms expectations, as tenancies under management near one million
22/07/2024 Voicescape’s award-winning technology, Caseload Manager, has outperformed expectations, doubling in size in the last 12 months. |
Herefordshire Council uses drone to investigate fly-tipping
17/04/2024 A drone is being used by Herefordshire Council to gather evidence of illegal waste disposal. |
Pothole-preventing robot passes first road test
08/03/2024 An autonomous robot designed to detect and fill cracks on roads has passed its first test outside of a laboratory. |
Coventry to consider £35m for Gigapark investment zone
06/03/2024 Coventry City Council’s cabinet will discuss whether to accept up to £35m of government funding to develop a battery gigafactory as part a new investment zone. |
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. |
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. |
VR training on coercive control rolled out
07/11/2023 An immersive training programme that aims to raise awareness of gender-based violence and support those affected has been rolled out in Greater Manchester and North Wales. |
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. |
Concern over Bristol schools’ app use to monitor children
22/09/2023 Campaign groups have accused Bristol schools who use an app to monitor pupils and their families of ‘intrusive monitoring’. |
Perth & Kinross in global first
31/08/2023 Perth & Kinross Council has become the first place in the world to use spiral-flow battery technology to reduce its carbon footprint. |
Local authorities and the AI revolution
24/08/2023 Stephen Almond, Information Commissioner’s Office, discusses what councils have to consider when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI). |
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. |
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. |
Guide to the use of AI in social care published
06/03/2023 A new guide has been launched to help councils and social care providers avoid common pitfalls when introducing new technology into adult social care. |
Council digitalisation being held back, report finds
23/02/2023 Councils’ efforts to digitalise are being hindered by a lack of funding and guidance, a new report has found. |
Kent councils drop CCTV company over genocide accusation
21/02/2023 A number of local authorities in Kent have decided to stop using CCTV made by a company whose technology is allegedly linked to the Uyghur genocide in China. |
Nottingham adds AI to traffic management tech
23/01/2023 Nottingham CC has partnered technology company VivaCity to install 219 sensors with a mix of ANPR, traffic monitoring and Smart Signal Control systems. |
Think tank calls for £14.5bn ‘city innovation zones’
14/12/2022 A think tank has called on the Government to invest £14.5bn to build ‘city innovation zones’ in Birmingham, Glasgow, and Manchester. |
Local government must look to new technology approaches in 2023
09/12/2022 In the face of unprecedented budgetary and security pressures, local government needs to look for new ways to implement and manage solutions. Richard Hartill reports. |
How to unlock value with a Total Experience strategy
05/12/2022 Lisa Arnold argues Total Experience (TX) is the future of local government work, allowing public bodies to create superior shared experiences. |
BT trials smart tech to support care home residents
30/11/2022 BT is trialing smart technology to support care home residents in Scarborough in a move that will make independent living easier. |
Collecting with care during a cost of living crisis
18/11/2022 Sean Sutton argues ethical collections and improving customer relationships are key to how local authorities operate. |
Mayor welcomes new Solihull tech lab
14/10/2022 The West Midlands mayor Andy Street has welcomed today’s announcement that a new state-of-the-art telecommunications lab will be based in Solihull. |
Why are more councils investing in property inspection technology?
15/09/2022 Destin Solutions looks at the surge in interest in technology solutions such as property inspection tools. and considers how they can help revenue generation. |
Citizen 4.0 - The future of local public services
27/07/2022 Matt Culpin explains how local authorities can use big data to predict demand for public services. |
New framework to support local government digitalisation launched
06/07/2022 Council leaders have partnered with technology experts to launch a joint new framework for improving and supporting local government digitalisation programmes. |
Smarter steps to a greener future
24/05/2022 Brightly’s digital asset management solution, Confirm, is helping local authorities to streamline their operations, cut costs and contribute to the wider, global sustainability mission. Hannah Winstanley explains more. |
Council devolution: how technology can enable a successful and seamless transition
05/05/2022 Scott Goodwin explains how technology holds the key to unlocking a successful and seamless transition to a unitary model. |
Going digital: putting the public first in public services
19/04/2022 Nigel Blair explores the challenge of embracing digitalisation whilst keeping local authorities’ customer centric. |
How to comply with the new sanctions triggered by the war in Ukraine
11/04/2022 Barley Laing outlines how local authorities can ensure they comply with new sanctions to avoid facing a hefty fine. |
Councils offered £75,000 grant to test digital housing services
30/03/2022 Councils are being invited to apply for grants of £75,000 to test out with older people which technology tools and digital housing services work best for them. |
How blockchain-inspired tech can spark societal change for the better
01/03/2022 David Coleman explains how distributed ledger technology can improve how societies operate. |
Moving beyond digital service delivery in local government
11/01/2022 Ved Sen outlines how councils can harness data to improve lives. |
Is a multi-skilled workforce the future of local government?
17/11/2021 Chris Hornung explains why multi-skilling can provide councils with the tools needed to bridge the gap between different areas, streamline communication and improve productivity?. |
Edinburgh tops list of ‘booming’ cities outside of London
19/10/2021 Edinburgh, Manchester and Leeds have topped the list of local authorities with the highest number of high-growth businesses outside of London. |
Why partnerships are key to enabling inclusive growth and closing the digital divide
14/10/2021 Simon Haston explains how local authorities are turning to technology for new ways to deliver for communities. |
Local councils must transform to become sustainable
12/10/2021 Ian Owen outlines how Software as Service (SaaS) solutions can help councils drive real operational improvements and financial savings. |
Why partnerships are key to enabling inclusive growth and closing the digital divide
08/10/2021 Simon Haston explains how local authorities are turning to technology for new ways to deliver for communities. |
Keeping patients out of hospital: Why one council is spending money on health tech
01/10/2021 A pre-pandemic vision in Stockport to invest in remote care is now having a big impact on preventing costly and distressing hospital admissions, and is keeping people supported at home. Mark Fitton explains how. |
Local councils must transform to become sustainable
28/09/2021 Ian Owen outlines how Software as Service (SaaS) solutions can help councils drive real operational improvements and financial savings. |
Sutton Council's IoT pilot project
14/09/2021 David Grasty, head of digital strategy & portfolio for Kingston and Sutton Councils, outlines how in-home sensors have improved the safety of vulnerable residents living in social housing. |
The role of safety technology in a changing workplace
03/09/2021 Naz Dossa examines the changes in working practices and how technology is playing an increasingly vital role in staff safety and security. |
Call to ‘mainstream’ assistive technology in adult social care
14/07/2021 Assistive technology should be placed at the centre of adult social care to make it more targeted and preventative, a new report has argued today. |
Minister announces £30m to boost battery and hydrogen technology
30/03/2021 The Government has announced over £30m of investment in battery technology, the electric vehicle supply chain and hydrogen vehicles. |
How technology can help transform person-centred care
10/03/2021 Jason Harries explains why technology is the obvious choice for keeping people connected and enabling the best possible outcomes for each individual. |
Forget smart cities, smart, programmable communities are the future
01/03/2021 Rob Bullock argues that in order for smart communities to become a reality then local government needs to become citizen centric and create people-based outcomes. |
BT Partners with scale-ups on breakthrough green tech
23/02/2021 Tech scale-ups collaborate with BT to develop new services aimed at helping public sector customers transition to Net Zero. |
Embracing the civic tech movement
22/02/2021 Lora Botev explains why ‘civic tech’ offers an opportunity for councils to re-engage communities in local decision making. |
Welsh council to trial touchless technology at pedestrian crossings
27/01/2021 Rhondda Cynon Taf Council will be trialling touchless technology at six busy pedestrian crossings in a bid to reduce the spread of coronavirus. |
Towards Net Zero
07/01/2021 Join us on 26 January to discover break-through technology supporting the UK’s green recovery |
Robotics to be deployed in battle against potholes
27/10/2020 The University of Liverpool has launched a spin out company which will drive the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics to detect potholes and road cracks. |
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NHS COVID-19 app launched
24/09/2020 People across England and Wales are being urged to download the NHS COVID-19 app to help control the spread of coronavirus. |
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How local authorities have embraced lockdown to get their road networks in shape
21/09/2020 Chris Dyer outlines how connected asset management platforms are helping councils speed ahead with road maintenance schemes and reactive repairs work. |
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Advancing beyond ‘business as usual’
17/09/2020 Raj Krishnamurthy, CEO of Freespace, looks at the role workplace technology can play in helping councils deliver services during the Covid-19 crisis. |
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How to approach rental arrears in a COVID world
26/08/2020 Chris Walker explains how data science, behavioural insights and technology can help councils change the way they manage repayment arrangements. |
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COVID-19 spotlights information management shortcomings in local government
20/08/2020 James Paton highlights the glaring gaps in information management capabilities and provides some practical action points.? |
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Four in five council staff working from home
19/08/2020 The number of council staff working from home has rocketed from 5% pre-lockdown to 80%, according to new research. |
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Care technology can no longer be a managed leap of faith
30/07/2020 Robert Turnbull explains how Hampshire CC is using cobots to improve adult social care during the pandemic. |
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Keeping the Welsh public safe with PSBA’s network
17/07/2020 PSBA has supported Dyfed-Powys Police (DPP) with network solutions for over a decade, providing connectivity services to enable DPP to serve Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys, the largest police force area in England and Wales. |
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Space-enabled technologies to aid coronavirus support
10/07/2020 Space data will soon help local authorities to identify ‘hidden’ vulnerable people under new plans announced today. |
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Fast-tracking technologies during the crisis
09/07/2020 Anthony Singleton explains how technology is helping local government deal with the huge spike in demand for services due to COVID-19. |
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Moving to the cloud
17/06/2020 Cllr Dominic Twomey explains how the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham maintained and improved contact centre performance during a crisis. |
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Contact tracing apps: Considerations for local authorities
27/05/2020 Dr Nathaniel O'Grady outlines what four key points should be considered by local authorities before the roll-out of the tracing app begins. |
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The future of local authority payment services
22/04/2020 Danny Vant asks what does the future of local authority payments have in store? |
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Video conferencing first at council meeting
02/04/2020 A council used software to help decide key planning applications in what is believed to be the first meeting of its kind in the country. |
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Projects chosen for £35m 5G technology trials
20/02/2020 A virtual Robin Hood will tell visitors about the history of Sherwood Forest under new plans to trial 5G. |
