In this blog post, Kate Harries, head of user-centred design for the Funding Service, shares how the team have been creating a new sustainable digital service to provide a more user-centred and data rich experience for grant teams and grant recipients alike.
Local Digital is pleased to share that the first release of the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Digital and Cyber Playbook is now live. The Playbook is an evolving collection of guidance, council experiences, and templates to support councils navigating the digital, data, technology, and cyber aspects of local government reorganisation.
What turns a case study into something people can use? Insights from local planning authorities shaped a user-centred approach to a series of digital planning case studies, helping them sit alongside plan-making guidance, support peer learning and build confidence in how planning teams use digital tools.
We’re exploring if AI can help support faster local plan preparation. An AI tool developed by Greater Cambridge Shared Planning and the University of Liverpool is now being stress-tested by 5 local authorities, to see if the initial results – accurate consultation summaries produced in a fraction of the time - can be replicated elsewhere.
It’s National Apprenticeship Week 2026 – a chance to showcase the value of apprenticeships for both individuals and organisations. Apprenticeships aren't only for beginners or career changers – within MHCLG, we also provide them as an effective way for experienced specialists at all levels to grow professionally.
Over the past year, the Funding Service has been building a new funding platform for the department based on an entirely new single codebase. This post outlines the technical choices and approach that guided the build of the platform, and how the functionality will support MHCLG to deliver grants faster, better and cheaper.
We've completed the first phase of testing new data standards for planning applications. Working with local planning authorities, software suppliers and the Planning Portal, we examined how draft specifications align with real systems and workflows. The result? A clearer understanding of what works and what needs refining before wider implementation.
The recently launched Fire and Rescue Data Platform (FaRDaP) is one of the most critical digital services underpinning emergency response across England, Scotland and Wales. Learn how the FaRDaP team built and now run a nationwide service that helps record incident data more easily, keeps communities safer, and supports the future of the fire sector.
Planning data locked in PDFs and legacy systems creates barriers for everyone. This February, 49 more local planning authorities are joining the Digital Planning Improvement Fund to publish essential planning data in open, standardised formats making it easier for residents, businesses and developers to find what they need.
Every year, local planning authorities make hundreds of thousands of planning decisions. Right now, planning decisions are recorded in dozens of different formats. Find out about the work taking place to change that by creating a data standard for planning decisions.
