Scottish local authorities open up data to tackle community issues

28/03/12

Five Scottish local authorities have been selected to work with digital media developers to create innovative, web-based services which will benefit their local communities.

The pioneering project is run by Nesta and follows on from its successful 'Make it Local' programme in England. 'Make it Local Scotland' aims to help local authorities maximise use of the vast amounts of data they hold. By partnering with digital media developers who understand how to use data, local authorities will have the chance to capitalise on the information they hold to either improve, or develop entirely new services.

The four winning partnerships were selected by a panel of judges, based on their proposals and the impact their project can have on the local community.  After each project is complete, the programming code will be made Open Source so other local authorities in Scotland and further afield can benefit as well. Projects will be complete by October 2012. The winning partnerships, which will each receive up to £25,000 funding, are:

• Aberdeen City Council & Aberdeenshire Council. A mobile-friendly website that reports road and travel conditions on an interactive map, helping users make informed travel choices and minimise disruption, particularly in bad weather. It will include information on gritting routes and current gritting operations, locations of grit bins, road and footpath conditions, travel and transport information, and weather forecast data. It will also allow citizens to provide their own live updates, ensuring timely and detailed local travel information.
• City of Edinburgh Council.  A new digital service to allow local communities to explore and enjoy Edinburgh's parks and green spaces. Information on historic monuments and other features will be mapped on the website and can be spotted following routes within the park/city.  Users can add their own content including comments and photos.  This will be of particular assistance to groups such as bird watchers, cyclists, dog walkers and families who will have their own interests.
• Glasgow City Council.  This website will make available to customers live real time information on road and pavement gritting services during the autumn and winter period. The service will show which routes have been gritted, those to be treated and those which are not gritted using live Geographic Information System (GIS) data from trucks and map data/travel data.
•  Orkney Islands Council.   A new website which brings together data about archaeological sites and monuments in the Orkney Islands, allowing users to explore and learn about Orkney's heritage via smart-phones. This interactive service will also allow users to add data such as updates on key monuments which are at risk from coastal erosion, sound files of place-names and photographic records, giving communities a central place to record their own history.

Jackie McKenzie, Head of Innovation Programmes Scotland for NESTA said: 'Councils hold huge amounts of data that has the potential to transform the way we all relate to public services if only we could access it.  Through the 'Make it Local' campaign, we wanted to bring together digital media developers and pioneering local authorities to show what practical new services could be achieved using existing data.  We're delighted with the quality of the applications and really excited about the four winning partnerships.'

She continued: "What makes this project unique is the willingness the five councils have shown to work together as they develop their projects. The projects will be live by the Autumn and we will be seeking community feedback on their operation."

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Notes to editor:

For further information please contact Graeme Downie on 07595 710 856 (graeme.downie@nesta.org.uk) or Guy Bilgorri on 020 7438 2611 (guy.bilgorri@nesta.org.uk)

Supportive Quotes:

Sue Bruce, Chief Executive, the City of Edinburgh Council, said: "Edinburgh is renowned for its rich heritage, beautiful parks and other green spaces. This is a really exciting project, which will encourage residents and visitors into our open spaces to have a lot of fun as well as being a truly educational experience. The Council has an award-winning website and is very keen to promote open data, which will allow all of the content to be used by anyone wanting to learn more about and enjoy Edinburgh."

Gavin Barr, Executive Director Development and Infrastructure at Orkney Islands Council said:  "Orkney's archaeology is a fantastic resource.  I am very pleased that NESTA has awarded our team one of its highly prestigious grants.  This will enable a truly innovative project to go ahead, recording local heritage and will involve essential input of locals and visitors alike."  

Julie Gibson, Orkney Islands Council Archaeologist said: 'Orkney has such a rich archaeological and cultural heritage and it is important that we make efforts to preserve that.  Thanks to NESTA's funding we are able to use the most modern technology to increase knowledge of these ancient sites and contribute to their preservation whilst increasing local interest'

Aberdeenshire Council's Director of Corporate Services, Christine Gore, said: "I look forward to this project helping Aberdeenshire residents and businesses to plan their local travel using the latest information from different sources and being able to access it on a number of mobile devices."  

Stephen Archer, Director of Infrastructure Services for Aberdeenshire Council, said: "Roads maintenance - especially over the winter months -  is a vitally important service delivered by Aberdeenshire Council, and sharing the latest information about our operations in this new way will also benefit the travelling public."     

Aberdeen City Council's Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure director Gordon McIntosh said: "We're delighted that, thanks to NESTA's generous funding, we will be able to create a new website which will enable citizens across the North-east to make more informed choices for travelling during adverse weather.

"It also allows us to continue the work we've done to date by releasing even more open data. This helps us to engage further with the local developer community, and in so doing stimulate innovation and boost the local economy."

About NESTA

NESTA is the UK's foremost independent expert on how innovation can solve some of the country's major economic and social challenges. Its work is enabled by an endowment, funded by the National Lottery, and it operates at no cost to the government or taxpayer.

NESTA is a world leader in its field and carries out its work through a blend of experimental programmes, analytical research and investment in early-stage companies. www.nesta.org.uk

About 'Make it Local'

'Make it Local' aims to identify how local authorities can maximise their use of open data by working with local digital companies to create innovative services that benefit their community. Applications had to address a specific need identified by local residents, allow users an opportunity to update and augment the data with their own content and use real-time local public data.

Comments on the programme are welcomed via Twitter by using the hashtag "#makeitlocalscotland". Tweets will be read by those involved in all four projects.