County council, which has only two more years of operation in its present form, has implemented a new contract of four years to support the delivery of platforms and support

Lancashire County Council has put in place a major IT contract to cover the provision of a comprehensive range of software and services in the coming years.

The deal, which was awarded to Buckinghamshire-based tech reseller Softcat, came into effect yesterday and runs for a term of four years. This means that the contract will cover the period of local government reorganisation that will see Lancashire County Council abolished in its present form, then replaced and superseded by a new local-government entity.

In the meantime, the agreement with Softcat is intended to provide the authority with “a single IT reseller for the provision of IT software, support and associated services [that] aligns with the Council’s Digital Strategy by using digital technology a catalyst for making Lancashire the best place to live and prosper”.

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The award of the contract comes following a competitive process undertaken via the HealthTrust Europe ICT Solutions framework. The implementation of the deal comes several months after Lancashire outlined plans to spend £4m on a commercial deal to support the creation of a new “digital front door” through which to manage its engagements with citizens across a comprehensive range of channels and services.

The organisation operates as an upper-tier local authority, sitting directly above 12 district and borough councils. It holds responsibility for services such as education, transport, highways, libraries, and social services. The dozen districts and boroughs in the region, meanwhile, are responsible for housing, leisure, environmental and waste-collection services, and tax administration.

However, after taking power last year, Labour announced its intent to abolish two-tier structures of local government – currently present in 21 areas of England – and replace existing county, borough and district councils with a smaller collection of single-tier unitary authorities, responsible for all services. This process is due to conclude by April 2028.

According to information on published on the county council’s website indicates that “a range of options are being considered, from creating two to five new councils”.