Council-backed robot targets poisonous weed in farm trials
Information watchdog to publish guidance for councils on procuring AI
New videos to help councils tackle deepfake threat launched
Policymakers urged to scrutinise AI productivity claims
Fighting the Fakes: The battle against AI disinformation
The Electoral Commission has launched a deepfake detection pilot ahead of May's elections. LocalGov's editor William Eichler finds out how it works.
ICO issues guidance on AI-generated FOI requests
5/6/2026 The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has published new guidance to help councils manage the growing volume of FOI requests being generated using AI. |
Bracknell Forest apologises for land search delays after software switch
4/17/2026 Bracknell Forest Council has apologised for disruption to local property purchases caused by a significant data issue. |
AI could save Cambridgeshire CC from future potholes
4/7/2026 Cambridgeshire County Council is to begin using artificial intelligence (AI) to combat its £800m road maintenance backlog. |
Government on track to miss 2030 EV chargepoint target
4/1/2026 A new analysis reveals that the Government is on track to miss its 2030 target of 300,000 electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints by nearly 130,000. |
Illegal parking to be exposed by Leicestershire’s new CCTV car
4/1/2026 A CCTV car is being introduced by Leicestershire City Council to combat illegal parking issues. |
Council rollout of new parking system to be encouraged by Government
3/30/2026 The Government plans to urge councils to introduce a new national parking system that aims to simplify payment methods. |
Tech enabled care held back by workforce and data gaps
3/24/2026 Social care leaders want to accelerate the use of technology enabled care, but persistent gaps in workforce confidence are holding back progress, study finds. |
Report finds uneven AI readiness across councils
3/10/2026 A major new study has revealed a mixed picture of artificial intelligence (AI) readiness among local councils across the UK. |
Wales rolls out 150 cameras in fly-tipping crackdown
2/19/2026 The Welsh Government is stepping up efforts to tackle fly-tipping with new funding for surveillance cameras and a review of penalty levels. |
Lambeth Green’s criticise £8m Oracle contract renewal
2/19/2026 Lambeth Green Party councillors have launched a petition urging the council to cancel plans to award technology firm Oracle an £8m contract. |
Residents reminded to stay alert amid AI phone scams
2/18/2026 Northumberland County Council has warned residents to report suspicious phone calls following the rise of a new scam that uses AI-generated voice cloning. |
Call for stronger governance of AI transcription in social work
2/12/2026 AI transcription tools are being rapidly adopted across social work but evaluation frameworks are ‘limited’, raising governance concerns, researchers warn. |
EXCLUSIVE: LGA cyber insurance talks 'peter out'
2/11/2026 The Local Government Association (LGA) is not currently taking forward a proposal for a cyber attack insurance scheme, it has confirmed. |
Bury Council ponders using AI for budget gains
2/6/2026 Bury Council is considering implementing AI to boost service efficiency and close budget gaps. |
Call for ‘urgent’ action to unlock EV chargepoint funding
2/4/2026 Three quarters of councils have said budget pressures are the greatest challenge to the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints. |
Local land charge searches halted due to cyber attack fallout
2/4/2026 Two councils are facing challenges conducting local land charge searches following last year’s cyber attacks. |
AI skills push aims to equip 10m workers by 2030
1/28/2026 The Government has launched an expansion of free AI training for workers, including local government employees, aiming to upskill 10 million people by 2030. |
Call for sustainable funding to back digital inclusion work
1/22/2026 Nearly 80% of councils say financial constraints are the greatest barrier to digital inclusion, research has found. |
Councils take a stand against AI tool on X
1/22/2026 Two councils have renounced their use of social media platform X following claims its integrated AI tool facilitates the creation of ‘unacceptable’ content. |
Council considers transition to electric cremators
1/21/2026 North East Lincolnshire Council has announced proposals to switch from gas to electric cremators. |
Crowborough Town Council backs £16k CCTV boost
1/6/2026 Crowborough Town Council plans to spend nearly £16,000 on CCTV improvements. |
Drivers face ‘ongoing uncertainty’ about EV running costs, says the AA
12/23/2025 Electric vehicle (EV) charging costs on the public network have been frozen since October, research has revealed. |
Maidstone BC drives efficiencies with drone-based fly-tipping scheme
12/22/2025 Maidstone Borough Council has introduced drones to enhance its anti-fly-tipping operations. |
'Trust' key to cyber attack recovery
12/16/2025 The leader of one of the London boroughs hit by a cyber attack has stressed the importance of transparency with the public as recovery continues. |
Epping Forest DC approves Google data centre outline plans
12/15/2025 Epping Forest District Council has backed outline planning applications for a Google data centre that could reportedly generate nearly 800 jobs. |
LGA and MHCLG unveil plan to help close councils’ digital skills gap
12/9/2025 A new digital and AI leadership initiative is being launched to upskill senior local government officers and enhance digital service delivery. |
Major EV chargepoint funding boost on the cards for Rotherham
12/8/2025 Rotherham Council is expected to greenlight an initiative designed to deliver up to 1,500 new electric vehicle (EV) charging points. |
Council launches AI-informed flood planning trial
12/5/2025 Northumberland County Council is trialling AI-enabled technology to support more efficient flood planning decisions. |
Data copied in cyber attack
12/3/2025 A data breach occurred during a cyber attack that has affected services at three authorities in London, it has emerged. |
Councils hit two-thirds compliance with EV charger rules
11/28/2025 Two-thirds of UK councils are now meeting full requirements under the Public Charge Point Regulations (PCPR) 2023, according to Drax Electric Vehicles. |
Major cyber attack hits London councils
11/26/2025 Multiple London councils are believed to have been targeted in a major cyber attack, leaving residents unable to access call centres and online tools. |
Bristol announces trial for green events scene
11/17/2025 Bristol is to benefit from a clean power generator to support the sustainability of large-scale events. |
Major solar farm planned for Dorset Council-owned land
11/13/2025 Dorset Council is set to pursue plans for a major solar farm on a council-owned site near Weymouth, under new proposals outlined in a report to its cabinet. |
Over 160,000 fines issued for EV charging bay misuse
11/3/2025 More than 161,000 fines have been issued in the UK since 2020 for misuse of electric vehicle (EV) charging bays, according to FOI requests. |
AI chatbot to offer 24-hour adult social care support
10/28/2025 Bradford Council has rolled out a new AI platform to boost adult social care services. |
Councils in top 10 for password leaks
10/16/2025 Over 3,000 passwords belonging to British civil servants have been exposed online since the start of 2024, with local authorities among those affected. |
Essex CC wows with road resurfacing results
10/15/2025 Essex County Council’s use of graphene-enhanced asphalt has produced ‘very encouraging’ results. |
Funding to drive EV uptake across Bradford
10/14/2025 Bradford is to benefit from the delivery of new electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure. |
Medway’s care services boosted by AI technology
10/14/2025 An AI-driven care system is enabling Medway Council to deliver support to residents in their homes. |
£2.5bn digital framework to power next-gen council services
10/13/2025 Local authorities are set to benefit from a new £2.5bn framework designed to modernise digital infrastructure and drive innovation across government services. |
Council adopts AI platform to support local funding scheme
10/9/2025 An AI-powered tool is being used by the Royal Borough of Greenwich to help allocate the region’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds. |
Rural Cornwall to benefit from zero-emission electric bus boost
10/9/2025 Six new zero-emission electric buses have been introduced to serve Route 70 on Cornwall’s bus network |
CoastCraft: Minecraft launches climate change game
10/6/2025 Cornwall Council and partners have launched an interactive learning tool to teach young people about climate change and coastal erosion. |
GPS scheme to drive EV cable theft clampdown
10/6/2025 Electric vehicle users are to benefit from GPS tracking systems to help minimise theft across local areas. |
Council’s cyber defences receive £25k uplift
10/3/2025 Middlesborough Council has invested in strengthened cyber security systems. |
Green bus shelters rolled out to boost biodiversity
10/2/2025 Three ‘insect friendly’ bus shelters have been introduced across West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire. |
Tewkesbury BC launches digital strategy
10/1/2025 Tewkesbury Borough Council has developed a three-year digital strategy to create ‘resilient, efficient and innovative services’. |
Council’s street reporting app subject to scrutiny
9/29/2025 A Lancaster City Council councillor has criticized a perceived ‘operational failure’ within the local authority’s issue reporting app. |
Solar energy scheme could save Havering Council thousands
9/24/2025 Solar PV panels have been installed at nine locations as part of Havering Council’s aims to cut carbon emissions. |
Council backs facial recognition surveillance system
9/19/2025 Members of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham’s cabinet have backed AI-enabled facial recognition cameras in the borough. |
