On Monday the Prime Minister outlined the government’s ‘four step’ roadmap to easing lockdown restrictions in England. The roadmap includes some indicative dates for when different lockdown restrictions may be eased, but these are subject to change if the data on infection rates indicates restrictions should remain in place.

The roadmap begins with the return of children and students to face-to-face education in schools and colleges (along with some university students on practical courses) on 8 March, with the final lifting of all legal limits on social contact removed no earlier than 21 June.

You can read the statement in full and details of the four step roadmap on the .gov website here.

The London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI) has announced the two successful bids for its £150,000 Covid Innovation Fund. The projects, which will each receive £75,000, plus hands-on support from the LOTI team are:

Tackling digital exclusion by developing an interactive demographic map of user needs. This project, put forward by Barnet, Brent, Kensington and Chelsea, Southwark and Westminster, seeks to build on the participating boroughs’ work creating richer data models for better understanding the distribution and different forms of digital exclusion.

Developing new approaches to preventative support for vulnerable residents in partnership with voluntary sector organisations. This project, put forward by Newham and Hackney, aims to build preventative measures to help ensure residents whose vulnerabilities have been exacerbated by the pandemic do not reach crisis point.

London Councils’ Digital Champion, Mayor Philip Glanville, said: “The pandemic has placed unprecedented pressure on local authorities and our communities, but boroughs remain determined to innovate and make better use of data and technology to support our residents.

“These winning bids are testament to that determination and the focus on reducing digital exclusion and supporting the most vulnerable. We look forward to seeing the results over the coming months.”

Lessons from both projects will be disseminated to all LOTI members.

A major research project to investigate how local authority spending can deliver maximum benefit to communities in the wake of Covid-19 has kicked-off this week. Academics from Oxford, Northumbria, Cardiff and Stirling Universities have joined forces to deliver the UK’s largest research programme into the impact of Covid-19 on local government procurement and partnering.  You may have noticed some recent coverage of this in the local government trade press.

The aim of the project, which is being led by Dr Richard Simmons from the University of Stirling, will be to learn lessons and share good practice in relation to local government procurement and optimising procurement outcomes – particularly through the lens of the response to Covid-19.

London Councils is one of several representative and professional bodies in the local government sector that is supporting the project. Chief executives, finance directors and senior procurement staff will be contacted by the project in relation to an initial survey early next month. We will be looking to ensure that member councils can engage with and benefit from the work as it progresses.

On Monday, Islington Council Leader Cllr Richard Watts announced that he would not be standing for re-election as leader in the upcoming Labour Group AGM and that he would stand down as Leader of the Council at the Annual Council meeting in May.