“Somerset Council is spending £5m on laptops” at a time when council tax bills are going up and the council is in a financially fragile position, writes Cllr Bill Revans.
I can understand that people will have questions about this.
So why have we made this decision?
It was already budgeted for.
It will not add anything more to your council tax bill this year.
We have spent very little on computers since the new council was formed in 2023.
We declared a “financial emergency” in autumn 2023, and as part of those measures was that any spending of over £500 needed a senior member of staff to sign off.
So, this amount covers hardware replacement from 2023–2028; £4.5m to cover five years, with a contingency of £0.5m.
Also, many of our old devices retain a high residual value and can be sold for around 12 per cent of their original worth, which will help us recoup some costs associated with this programme.
So it will probably cost less in the end.
Laptops do need to be replaced.
They work well for the first three years or so, and then the batteries and other parts of the hardware wear out.
This means they take time and money to repair.
By the middle of 2026, all our devices will have exceeded the recommended four-year lifecycle, and many will be over six years old.
Replacing devices on schedule will help sustain staff productivity, minimise downtime, and ensure reliable access to digital services.
And it helps staff well-being.
We all know how frustrating it is when you want to get on with work, and your IT kit won’t work.
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We have just under 5,000 staff.
We have carefully reviewed what our staff use their devices for.
Some staff will only need basic applications.
Others will be running complex software with high processing needs.
Many will be working at a variety of locations throughout the county.
This review has taken time, but we now have a good understanding of what we need for our staff in the future.
Old operating systems stop being supported, and new applications often won’t run on old hardware.
As we go through a period of back-office work, switching to artificial intelligence to support staff to do routine work, we need hardware that will run the software we need.
Our tendering process is designed to secure the devices we need at a reduced cost and make deployment simple and cost-effective.
Every new laptop will be made from 100 per cent recycled metals, including cobalt, and packaged with fully recycled materials – reflecting our dedication to sustainability.
This procurement exercise is carried out with tightly controlled rules.
Moreover, we are considering further donations of devices to charitable causes – care leavers, schools, and non-profit organisations in Somerset – to help tackle digital poverty in our community.
By investing in our staff and supporting local initiatives, Somerset Council continues to put people and progress at the heart of everything we do.
But for me, the most important reason is security.
Back in 2021, Gloucester City Council was hacked and its data held for ransom.
It is still having problems with its budget setting as a result of this.
Somerset Council holds data on every household in Somerset through our revenue and benefits system.
It holds sensitive information about children who need protection and victims of domestic violence.
Our accounts systems are controlled through computers.
If we don’t spend the money to make sure we have modern hardware with the right security to keep out those who would hack and abuse your data, you would rightly be outraged.
This is a sensible and wise investment in keeping our residents safe, supporting our staff, and modernising the council so it is sustainable in the future.
