Daily Telegraph article on how local councils are using Apps to save millions

Daily Telegraph
04.09.10

Town halls 'saving millions by embracing new technology'
New technologies such Apple iPhone applications and Facebook have help save councils up to £230million over the past year, according to fresh research. 


By Andrew Hough
Published: 8:30AM BST 04 Sep 2010
Comment

A recent 'innovation' by Town Halls included an iPhone application, which allowed residents to receive hygiene ratings for pubs and restaurants.

Local authorities have embraced new mobile phone, satellite and “location based” technology to better inform residents about a variety of council services such as meals on wheels, schools, busses, refuse collections and planning applications.

The new technology has helped increase council “productivity” by £230 million, the Local Government Association research found, as local authorities struggle to plug budget black holes.

The LGA research found that other recent “innovations” by Town Halls included an iPhone application, which allowed residents to “point their phone” at a pub, restaurant or take-away shop to “receive its hygiene rating”.
Applications also allowed people to send “photographs of fly-tipping and vandalism” allowing quick response by councils while another program allowed residents to buy a parking ticket before they left their own home.

The LGA said the “location based” technology creates clear, accurate maps and provides shareable databases across council departments and between authorities.

David Parsons, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Improvement Board, said the savings could be “ploughed into vital frontline services”.
“Whether it’s bin men working smarter, fewer phone calls to inquiry centres, freeing up staff from time-consuming checks or reducing parking ticket machine maintenance costs, making the most of modern technology and data sharing has seen huge cash savings across the country,” he said.

“As well as financial savings, tapping into gadgetry has led to better communication with all members of society, young and old, and raised awareness of the services councils offer and how to get the most from them.

“In this climate of strained budgets, councils must strive to keep reaching more residents and improving services ever more creatively, and look at more ways of working together to make these big savings.”