Man on phone

Town to benefit from Durham County Council’s £1.3m public Wi-Fi scheme

Free Wi-Fi is being introduced in Seaham next week as part of Durham County Council’s multimillion pound Towns and Village programme, which aims to enhance the vibrancy of towns and villages across the county.

The council have funded the installation of free public Wi-Fi in Seaham town centre as part of their £1.3m Wi-Fi scheme and hopes it will help boost footfall after Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

Visitors will be able to log on to the 'Connected Seaham' system via a simple form or through social media and after this will be automatically reconnected on their return to further improve their experience.  

The aim is to encourage people to spend more time in the town centre, which in turn will increase the takings of local businesses and support the county's economic recovery following the pandemic.

This will be further boosted by a programme of digital support for retailers to encourage them to increase their online presence, as well as the creation of new local apps providing heritage tours and promoting retail opportunities and offers.

Seaham is the latest location to benefit from the project, following the introduction of systems in Bishop Auckland and Stanley last March.

Over the next few months, it will be rolled out in Chester-le-Street and Barnard Castle, with the latter being delivered in conjunction with Teesdale Area Action Partnership.

The scheme is a key part of Durham County Council’s Towns and Village programme, which strives to ensure that every investment the local authority makes delivers the best possible outcomes for communities across the county.

As well as enhancing the experience of visitors to Seaham town centre, the Wi-Fi project will support the Towns and Villages programme through the anonymous footfall data it collects, including identifying the number of new and repeat visitors, the length of time people spend in specific areas and the routes they take, day and night.

This data will then be used to monitor the impact of high street changes and shape future investment.

Data captured from Bishop Auckland town centre has already been used to support significant funding applications, including a successful £19.9m bid to the government’s Future High Streets Fund.

Commenting, Durham County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economic Regeneration, Councillor Carl Marshall said: "We are committed to our plan to further regenerate and invest in the county's towns and villages to ensure communities can benefit from thriving and sustainable high streets and centres.

"In this increasingly digital age, people are finding more ways to connect with each other. This project will enhance the experience for residents and visitors, attracting more people into our towns, increasing footfall and levels of spend and boosting our visitor economy, particularly as we look ahead to the county's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic."

Public Sector Executive, Feb/March, Cover

PSE Feb/March, 23

Greater choice, greater results

Our February/March 2023 edition of PSE brings you expert comment and analysis on a range of key public sector topics, from EV infrastructure to Digital transformation and reducing carbon emissions. Learn how the UK Government is investing in highway and freight innovation or read Cllr Matthew Hicks discuss the first step towards an exciting future for Suffolk, alongside so much more…

Videos...

View all videos
#PSE365: Public Sector Decarbonisation

Be A Part Of It!

PSE365: Public Sector Decarbonisation Virtual Event | 21 Mar 2023

PSE has created a full calendar of events to address the most important issues that influence the delivery of public sector services. 

Over 365 days you’ll have the opportunity to hear from a range of highly motivating, informative and inspirational speakers. These speakers will equip you with knowledge and unique insight to enable you to overcome the challenges that you face.

Industry Survey

What are the biggest issues facing the Public Sector?

 Public Sector Executive is undergoing some in-depth research around the issues the Public Sector is facing and the importance of deploying and using new technology within Public Sector organisations. 

We are asking for your help to better understand how public sector organisations are utilising technology to support their digital strategy and your opinion on what the biggest issues facing the public sector are.

This survey only takes a couple of minutes to complete and to thank you for your time and for filling out our survey, we'll enter you into a prize draw to win a £50 Amazon voucher.

In order to assist public sector organisations with improving their existing technology estate, we hope to leverage our findings to share best practises and innovations across the public sector.

More articles...

View all