As we close the year, it's the perfect time to reflect on the remarkable progress made possible by collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to enhancing community engagement. It has been a privilege to support your efforts with solutions designed to empower consultations and decision-making processes. Together, we’ve streamlined public feedback, increased transparency, and improved accessibility, making a meaningful impact on how councils connect with their communities.
Key Highlights of the Year
Strategic Projects
- Corporate LocalGov Drupal Website: We collaborated with Ipswich Borough Council to deliver a brand-new corporate website, earning admiration for its standout footer design.
- Greater Norwich Local Plan: The adoption of this significant plan marked a milestone, with its final web accessible documents showcased on a dedicated Local Plan website. The project feedback was welcomed with joy.
- PropTech 3 Funded Project: Working in partnership with Greater Cambridge Shared Planning, we introduced new features to OpusConsult such as Workflow Management and Submission Notes, improving efficiency with managing and processing representations.
Continuous Improvements
Thanks to customer feedback, we enhanced OpusConsult’s features, not limited to but included:
- Replacing the comment icon with a more intuitive comment button.
- Adding policy map link options to documents.
- Implementing tools to streamline offline document processing.
- Improvements to the integration between OpusConsult and OpusMap, including a new annotations tool within the admin console, and more map configuration options.
- Introducing a customised data export tailored for Welsh examination requirements
The best news - with our continuous release policy, all customers benefit from updates to OpusConsult and at no extra cost.
New Members and Partnerships
We warmly welcomed several new councils to the OpusConsult community, including South Kesteven District Council, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority, and Cheshire East Council. Our team also grew, with Cath Patterson joining to enhance client relationships and feedback integration.
Navigating Challenges
- Successfully digitised South Kesteven District Council’s Regulation 18 Local Plan consultation within two weeks of OpusConsult being procured.
- Helped councils eliminate the need for external spreadsheet processing by optimising OpusConsult tools, leading to significant resource efficiencies.
Virtual Exhibition Launch
The debut of our Virtual Exhibition product is enhancing Local Plan consultation strategies for 2025, with the new solution integrating seamlessly with OpusConsult to enhance accessibility and public engagement.
Looking Ahead
Our future plans are anchored in innovation, trust, and a commitment to excellence. We’re inspired by your dedication to digital transformation and are eager to explore new opportunities, particularly in AI, to continue driving impactful results together in 2025 and beyond.
Thank you for your trust and partnership this year—we look forward to building on our shared success!