UpMyStreet to test local council e-service

Local information source UpMyStreet has been awarded a share of £25m worth of Government funding which has been earmarked for the development of better, more accessible local government services through Electronic Service Delivery (ESD).

Local information source UpMyStreet has been awarded a share of &£25m worth of Government funding which has been earmarked for the development of better, more accessible local government services through Electronic Service Delivery (ESD).

UpMyStreet programme director Nick Buckley says: “The two (Government-backed) projects in which we are involved address the issue of social inclusion. Local authority services will be delivered through interactive digital television, allowing more people access to their council – specifically those people without Internet access.

“Providing localised content is at the heart of UpMyStreet’s agenda, and we look forward to sharing the knowledge gained from these projects and helping achieve the Government’s target of 100 per cent ESD capability for local government services by 2005.”

In one project UpMyStreet is partnering with Somerset County Council (including Somerset Fire Brigade), Avon & Somerset Police Authority, and a number of district councils to explore combining the existing Web-based Somerset Online initiative with digital TV access.

In the second project UpMyStreet is joining with Suffolk County Council, Ipswich Borough Council, Barbergh District Council, BT, Cityspace, eGovernment Solutions, and Smart421 to identify which services are best suited for delivery through digital television and street kiosks in a region that spans the urban rural divide.

Buckley adds: “Having a system that is platform neutral and transaction capable with multi-channel access is the key to delivering services electronically. The challenge is getting the mix of services and channels right, so that the widest range of services are made available to the widest group of people.”