Case studies

Gateshead set up a COVID-19 business compliance team to ensure restrictions and safety guidelines were adhered to and helped local businesses cope with change.

As soon as COVID-19 hit, a pan-Sussex enforcement cell was set up which included the police, Brighton and Hove City Council, the two county councils and the network of district and borough councils.  

The environmental health team at Rushmoor Borough Council made it their priority to support local shop owners and kept them up to date with the ever changing guidance and went the extra mile to deliver lateral flow tests.

At Warrington Borough Council a joint environmental and public health team was quickly set up to help businesses to adopt COVID-19 secure working practices and to deal with any outbreaks.   

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council launched the Workshop, an Employment, Training and Skills Hub in the town centre. Utilising its successful bid for Accelerated Town Deal Funding the council repurposed a vacant shop situated in the town centre to create the hub. Through this space, local residents are provided with personalised career support to help them access training, employment or education advice to facilitate their ambition to deliver an economically prosperous and inclusive borough.

East Staffordshire Borough Council successfully bid for £23.8 million of funding to regenerate Burton upon Trent. Collaborating with key partners including the universities, colleges and the county council has been key to accessing the towns fund and drive regeneration. In doing so, the council aims to cement itself as a place of learning and opportunity and help close the skills gap to achieve long term economic prosperity locally and regionally.

Breckland Council has launched a year long project, Future Breckland: Thriving People and Places. This project is a significant undertaking which is designed to help Breckland bounce back from the challenges of COVID-19.

The Essex and Herts Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ), co-founded and led by Epping Forest District Council, is a cross-sector, cross-border partnership seeking to explore the opportunities of digital infrastructure, applications and innovations to future-proof local economies and the provision of health and social care. The DIZ is delivered in partnership with Essex County Council and Hertfordshire County Council as well as five district councils (Broxbourne, East Herts, Epping Forest, Harlow, and Uttlesford), and partners from the health, higher and further education, voluntary and community sectors and the private sector. The DIZ has an ambition to be recognised as a ‘beacon’ area for place-based digital innovation. applications and innovations, to future proof local economies and the provision of health and social care.

The ‘Love Essex Not Plastic’ campaign aimed to change the mindset of how plastic is used, reduced and recycled in Essex. By encouraging residents to sign the Essex Plastic Pledge, and commit to changing their current behaviour, they receive information to help reduce single-use plastics and find suitable alternative, plastic-free options.

Portsmouth climate festival was an event to raise awareness of the climate challenges in the city, highlighting both the implications of climate change for Portsmouth, and the opportunities to make a positive difference. It was organised through a partnership of Portsmouth University, Portsmouth City Council and the Climate Action Board.