Case studies

When Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council invested in comprehensive footfall and foot-flow monitoring as a measure of town centre vitality and viability, it was not aware of its usefulness in managing the local response to a global pandemic.

Bournemouth Borough Council has taken a once-in-a-generation opportunity to co-ordinate and shape the town centre's development.

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.

Digital technology can provide huge advantages to businesses in town centres and other places if take-up and future opportunities can be properly understood. The Digital High Street Project aims to help place managers understand and improve the ways that local consumer-facing business are adopting digital technologies. 

Tendring District Council (TDC) is undertaking a project to incorporate social value to its existing procurement process, based on the anchor institutions approach. Local authorities, other public bodies, and some large voluntary and private sector organisations form the ‘anchors’ in a place. Having seen examples from Preston, Manchester, and an emerging approach from Essex County Council , the desired outcome is to better communicate the procurement process to local companies and support them to understand how to bid into council contracts to increase the level of spend by anchors on local companies.

In 2018, East Suffolk Council took part in a placemaking programme to understand the public perception of Lowestoft and the priorities of businesses, stakeholders, and the community, and to tell the ‘story’ of Lowestoft through identifying the qualities that make the place.

Surrey Heath has consolidated a mix of old on-premise and other cloud GIS services into a single XMAP Cloud GIS system. The service provides mapping and GIS services for staff, public and contractors. It supports our accelerated agile working agenda whilst also saving the Council licensing costs and implementation costs.

Work Well Suffolk is a locally integrated coaching and employment service that tackles the deep-seated barriers to work for all who need it. The service acts as the ‘cement between the bricks’ of the health, employability, skills and wellbeing services that are available to people in Suffolk. It will ensure that individuals can gain bespoke and timely access to relevant services whilst blending in coaching, employability support, skills provision, advice and guidance.

Apprenticeships Suffolk is an impartial and completely free service being offered by Suffolk County Council as part of their strategic aim to increase the quality and quantity of apprenticeships within the county, thereby supporting businesses and helping to achieve economic growth.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council are undertaking the development of a learning and skills strategy for 14-25 year olds in the city. With support from a consultant as part of the LGA’s Economic Growth Advisers programme, the council is undertaking a review to map the economic and employer skill needs in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire and provide more opportunities for young people to study and work in the area.