Councils Partner to Improve Public Spaces Mobile Connectivity
Local authorities and the Small Cell Forum have launched the Local Authority Connectivity Group to tackle planning, street‑works and funding hurdles that impede small‑cell deployment in public spaces. The initiative will produce blueprints, templates and toolkits to streamline collaboration between councils and mobile operators. Oxfordshire’s 5G streetlamp pilot exemplifies the model, with Glasgow and Cambridgeshire councils joining the steering group. The effort aims to boost capacity, economic development and digital inclusion across the UK.
Defra Holds Hackathon for Environmental Reporting Data Challenges
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) hosted a two‑day hackathon to accelerate digital solutions for environmental reporting. Teams built a Microsoft Power Automate workflow to ease data intake and an Azure‑based tool to streamline data transformation, both...
DBT Creates Specialist Hub for Microsoft Tools
The UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has launched a Microsoft Learning Hub on its SharePoint site to promote built‑in accessibility tools in Microsoft 365. The hub aggregates resources for Windows and Mac users, highlighting features such as Sign Language...
MHCLG Publishes New Local Government Reorganisation Digital and Cyber Playbook
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has released a Local Government Reorganisation Digital and Cyber Playbook to help councils navigate digital, data and cybersecurity challenges during structural changes. Developed with input from local and central government, sector...
Podcast: Be Ready, Take Stock, and Keep Talking
The UKA Live Podcast explores how councils should prepare for local government reorganisation and vesting day, emphasizing the need to map the technology estate and address day‑one requirements. Guests Kate Hurr and Dave Lee discuss the complexities of splitting counties,...
Google Cloud to Develop AI Planning Decisions Tool
The UK Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has awarded Google Cloud a £6.9 million contract to build an AI‑powered planning decisions tool. The system will initially focus on householder developments, which account for 69 % of applications, with a target...
MHRA Says AI Innovation and Regulation Must Work Together
The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is urging that AI innovation in healthcare be paired with robust regulation to safeguard patient safety and equity. Richard Stubbs, CEO of Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber, highlighted the need for...
Online Consultations Part of New GP Contract
A new NHS England GP contract, backed by £485 million, will guarantee same‑day appointments for urgent patients. It mandates that online consultation platforms remain available throughout core hours and redirects £292 million to recruit roughly 1,600 additional full‑time‑equivalent GPs. The contract expands...
Crown and Magistrate Courts Digitisation Funding Boost
The UK government will fund every Crown court in England and Wales to operate at maximum capacity in 2026/27, with an extra £287 million for digital upgrades and infrastructure. Total court and tribunal funding rises to £2.785 billion, up from £2.538 billion. No...
MHCLG Adopts User-Focus to Digital Planning Case Studies
MHCLG’s Digital Planning team has overhauled its case study format to prioritize user‑focused design, guided by research on how planners consume content. The new layout features an upfront overview box, plain‑language summaries, comparative before‑and‑after metrics, and simple visual aids. A...
HM Courts and Tribunals Completes Audio Transcription Modernisation
HM Courts and Tribunals Service has finished modernising its Digital Audio Recording Transcription (DARTS) system for Crown Courts. The cloud‑based platform now delivers audio recordings in minutes, with real‑time progress tracking and enhanced search tools. Migration moved roughly 600 TB of...
One IPO Roadmap Unveiled
The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has released a detailed roadmap for its new One IPO patents service, outlining a phased rollout of enhancements over the next twelve months. Immediate actions focus on restoring full publishing capacity, accelerating internal processing, and...
Essex Authorities Invest in AI Skills
Brentwood Borough and Rochford District Councils are embedding AI and data literacy into their 2025‑2028 Digital Strategy by training 33 staff members. They partnered with Multiverse to deliver two courses focused on turning data into insights and using AI tools...
Defra Adopts Sustainable Tech Device Procurement
The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a five‑year End User Services contract with Atos that will supply laptops, phones and tablets to its 30,000 staff, with 90 % of the 72,000 devices sourced as refurbished...
DWP Tech and STEM Placement Applications Close This Week
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Digital is accepting applications for its University Leavers Engineering Programme, a two‑year placement that blends hands‑on software and infrastructure engineering with leadership training and a master’s qualification. Launched in April 2025, the scheme operates...
Smart Insole to Predict and Prevent Elderly Falls
University of Bristol engineer Dr. Jiayang Li has created a smart shoe insole equipped with 253 micro‑sensors that map pressure and gait in real time. The device consumes only 100 microwatts, enabling up to three months of operation on a...
Cattle Electronic ID Tags Plans Seeks Final Consultation
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has launched a final public consultation on proposals to make electronic identification (EID) tags mandatory for all newborn cattle in Northern Ireland. The consultation, closing on 23 February 2026, asks stakeholders to comment...
New Digital Tool to Report River Pollution
The UK Environment Agency has unveiled BluePrint, a new smartphone‑based platform that lets anyone report real‑time observations of rivers, lakes and beaches across England. Building on the WaterWatch pilot, BluePrint uses geolocation instead of QR codes, allowing data collection from...
The Digital Backbone of MoD’s Technology Foundations
The UK Ministry of Defence has solidified its Digital Backbone and Technology Reference Model (TRM) over the past year, launching the digital.mod.uk portal to centralise standards and guidance. By aligning the TRM with the Defence Capability Hierarchy, the MoD is...
Scottish Government Runs Open Data Workshops
The Scottish Government is hosting two online workshops on 12‑13 March to co‑create a shared vision for open data in Scotland through 2036. Led by Martin Macfie, the initiative follows a 2024 independent report and builds on progress with the statistics.gov.scot...
DBT Increases Adoption of Data Hub
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has lifted adoption of its central CRM platform, Data Hub, through a focused digital‑adoption programme. By aligning the tool with user workflows and delivering on‑demand training, email guidance and a performance dashboard, the...
Find Public Health Resources Succeeds Initial User Testing
UK Health Security Agency’s Find Public Health Resources service has completed its alpha assessment, satisfying all 14 government service standards. The platform offers an e‑commerce‑style interface allowing health professionals and the public to locate, download, and order vaccination and infectious...
AI Planning Tool Expands Its Testing Landscape
PlanAI, a large‑language‑model tool created by the UK Ministry of Housing’s Digital Planning team, has moved from a Cambridge pilot to stress‑testing in five additional planning authorities. The system slashes consultation summarisation from 18.5 hours to 16 minutes by automatically categorising feedback...
NHS Business Services Authority Improves Online Baby Loss Certification
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has completed a beta reassessment of its Baby Loss Certificate service, achieving compliance with all 14 government service standards. The digital service, created after the Pregnancy Loss Review, now offers bereaved parents formal recognition...
Planning Inspectorate Expands Digital Appeals Service
The Planning Inspectorate will extend its digital Appeal a Planning Decision platform to cover enforcement, enforcement listed‑building and lawful‑development‑certificate appeals starting 26 February 2026. The rollout follows a pilot with Cornwall Council, Havering and Brent, which validated the system’s functionality. New features...
Natural England Uses Aerial Survey Technology for Seabird Flight Data
Natural England’s Reducing Seabird Collisions Using Evidence (ReSCUE) project is deploying LiDAR‑enabled aerial surveys to map seabird flight heights across UK offshore waters. The 12‑month campaign, running September 2025 to August 2026, will conduct 20 surveys in the North Sea, Irish Sea...