Stockport announces new Radical Digital Strategy

Stockport Council has announced a new digital strategy that sets out its ambitions for embracing and leveraging new technologies for benefit of residents and businesses in the borough.

Named ‘Radically Digital Stockport’, the strategy sets out the borough’s digital ambitions across three broad areas of the council’s work: Digital Communities, Digital Place, and Digital Council.

Cllr Elise Wilson, Leader of Stockport Council, explained:

“Everyone deserves the opportunity to have access to the latest digital skills but also to have the confidence to use them. That’s why we’re introducing our Radical Digital Strategy. We want Stockport to continue to be at the forefront digitally, a place that maximises the opportunities of the digital era and makes sure that everyone is digitally included.

“Throughout the pandemic, we saw rapid innovation and changes by businesses and organisations across the borough to continue delivering support and services to customers and clients. Together with our collaborative DigiKnow Alliance, we expanded our digital inclusion response to protect the most vulnerable. We want to build on this progress, get more people online, make sure our services are data-led, boost our tech sector and ensure Stockport gets the most out of the opportunities from digital innovation.”

The strategy has been compiled with the input of stakeholders from a range of sectors over recent months, an will be published online where it can be adapted and developed alongside other plans currently under development, including the Stockport Economic Plan. Key priorities and outcomes set out in the digital strategy include:

• bringing the digitally excluded online;
• using digital to support independence;
• increasing digital skills and digital working practices;
• providing modern digital infrastructure;
• boosting the tech sector, and;
• using data to design services around the people who use them.

Cllr David Sedgwick, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focus and Engagement, says:

“Digital technologies evolve fast, and there is much about the future that we cannot predict. The Digital Strategy focuses on the broad outcomes around three interdependent pillars, rather than detailed delivery, as we must have the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances and expectations. As we continue developing the detail, we welcome your ongoing comments and feedback.

“Digital Communities, Digital Place and Digital Council will bring even closer together our work around digital skills, economy, inclusion, technology-enabled living, data, robust technical architecture and 21st-century customer expectations.”

Digital Communities is about building digital skills and confidence so everyone can make the most of digital opportunities. It includes providing people with online information, where and when they need it, in an accessible format, and supporting residents to remain independent by providing digital health monitoring and telecare.

Digital Place means having the infrastructure, skills and networks for digital start-ups, scale-ups and established businesses to thrive and grow our local economy. It’s about providing modern digital infrastructure throughout the borough and using automation and ‘smart’ technology to improve people’s lives and support our climate action ambitions.

Digital Council addresses the council’s use of digital working practices and data to better understand Stockport and citizen needs and improve processes and user experience. It includes a commitment to sharing more data, increasing transparency, and supporting collaboration and innovation. It aims to increase IT security and reduce system maintenance and downtime.

Stockport Council is planning a series of events over the coming months, focusing on different strands of the strategy. For further information on Stockport’s Radical Digital Strategy, or to give your feedback, please visit the Digital Stockport website or email digital@stockport.gov.uk.