Digital Coventry

The Council Plan sets out the Council’s vision and priorities for the city.

How does the digital strategy link to the Council Plan?

The digital revolution matters to Coventry because digital changes create the opportunity for innovation and growth, improving the lives of Coventry’s residents and helping the Council to deliver outcomes in a more effective and efficient way, working with partners and residents.

Supporting business growth, infrastructure development and city

Cloud computing, high speed internet connections including gigabit connections through Coventry Core, public Wi-Fi and 4G encourage new businesses to start up, reducing the need for upfront computing and communications infrastructure costs. This leads to a positive impact on inward investment and jobs. As the city grows, effective planning of new infrastructure – utilities, roads and fibre optics - through the use of smart data will make the city a more attractive place to live, work, learn, study and invest in. We can boost city centre footfall and tourism by making our city centre easy to navigate around and promoting events and businesses using technology.

Attractive cleaner and greener city

Faster internet connectivity and cloud computing can aid and encourage people to work, learn and study from home without the need for a long distance commute. This will have a positive impact on travel patterns, commuting and road traffic. Connected air sensing technology can provide real time information on air quality, which can be used dynamically for route planning as well as providing long term data for analysis and insight. This will provide the means to log progress against green targets and plan to reduce congestion.

Improving educational outcomes

Now an essential tool in education, increased internet connection speeds, digital tools and literacy can help raise the skill levels, employability and earning potential for all age groups.

Improving health and wellbeing

Joining up customer records and sharing data with partners and customers will enable us to act sooner with families with complex needs, and enable greater access to service choice at lower cost through My Account (our online customer portal). Online information/advice services, assistive and telecare solutions allow people to take control of their own lives, live independently for longer and positively impact social, equality and financial inclusion objectives.

Delivering our priorities

Using digital solutions will enable the Council to develop a more flexible and skilled workforce, to integrate services across functional and geographical boundaries, to rationalise our property estate as services become less dependent on buildings and to save money. We will build stronger communities by enabling customers and businesses to be included in the digital economy and digital society, so our most vulnerable residents are included.

Raising the profile of Coventry with active citizens, strong and involved communities

Using digital and social media to showcase Coventry and the work that has happened and is underway to improve the city. We will be able to engage with citizens and businesses about the city’s developments and projects via new digital channels. Communities can create their own networks and take a leading role in creating a vibrant economy and places to live and work.

Supporting open data and innovation

Coventry can make real time data available which can be used local businesses to create new digital solutions, making connections that have never been considered before. This could link traffic information with air quality and health and social care, enriched with demographic data. Coventry can be seen as a digital city not just by its infrastructure but also in the way information is shared and collaborated with partners in all sectors.

The Digital Strategy also aligns with:

• The Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Strategic Economic Plan objective of Unlocking Our Growth Potential through programmes that address digital connectivity and support for the digital sector.
• The West Midlands Combined Authority Strategic Economic Plan – with a particular focus on delivering growth and public service reform across eight priority themes – new manufacturing economy, creative and digital, environmental technologies, medical and life sciences, HS2 (High Speed 2 - the planned high-speed railway linking London to the West Midlands and beyond), skills for growth and employment for all, housing and maximising the economic geography.
• The draft City Centre Area Action Plan and the Draft Local Plan which include policies which directly encourage the expansion of digital infrastructure.
• The emerging Digital Economy Bill as announced at the 2016 Queen’s speech for the state opening of Parliament.