Government Briefs Local Press On Statutory Notices Pilots

The News Media Association hosted a briefing session for local media publishers this week on the Communities Department’s statutory notices pilot scheme which aims to find innovative ways of improving statutory notices while maintaining a strong local press.

Delegates were briefed by the communities department at the event which is part of a series of information events for interested organisations. The briefing consisted of an overview of the scheme including timelines for pilots. 

Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles issued an invitation in December to newspapers, local councils and others to pilot ways of improving statutory notices. 

The communities department’s aim is to provide evidence about what the public wants to be or should be informed about and how they want to be informed. It will also evaluate what works and does not work in meeting the public’s need to be informed.

The communities department would need to hear from interested parties who submit expression of interest forms by 28 January. The pilot programme is only available in England and, in some cases, there would be a small amount of funding available for project management and technical support.