Private Finance initiative (PFI) contracts have been and will be with us for some considerable time but there’s an ever-increasing number of PFI contracts now set to expire.

Stephen Ottewell, Director of Planning and Building Control at Capita, interviews planning experts - this Q and A focuses on sustainable development.

The Covid-19 pandemic means that many citizens are contacting their local authority online for the very first time. Unable to communicate with officials face-to-face, they expect seamless and effective service through digital channels instead.

In this series of local government Q&As, Stephen Ottewell, Director of Planning and Building Control at Capita Local Public Services, interviews planning experts on hot topics in the sector, including the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In July 2020 the Government published its much-anticipated draft Building Safety Bill. Described by the Housing Secretary as the “biggest improvements to building safety in nearly 40 years”, the Bill goes beyond the traditional boundaries of regulatory change and seeks to bring forward a clearer regulatory system with residents’ safety at its heart.

The use of data analytics and automation can improve the experience of users and deliver savings compared to the more traditional service-desk SLA approach.

For the past decade, PFI (private finance initiative) contracts have been in place to support the public sector with the management of their existing estates and facilities.

The Economic impact of digital inclusion in the UK report has found every £1 invested in building essential digital skills contributes £9.48 to the UK economy.

As political leaders and civil servants react to an ever-increasing array of challenges, we consider how to make time for placemaking and digital projects.

How can levelling-up be truly achieved when there’s still a large gap between those who are digitally included and those in our communities who are not?