Where does Loci add value beyond our existing website, CRM and social channels?
Loci adds value in the gap between formal council systems and resident everyday life. Council websites typically used for services and transactions, where important service updates and announcements are missed. CRM systems manage service requests. Social media helps with broadcast updates, but it is fragmented and shaped by platform algorithms and relies on residents following the pages. Loci brings those missing pieces together in a place-based, community setting, helping residents discover local information, activity and services more easily in one trusted space.
Where does Loci complement council services?
Loci complements council services rather than seeking to replace them, by improving visibility, discovery and engagement. It helps residents find the right information earlier, understand what is happening locally and connect with services in the context of their neighbourhood and community. We work alongside and in partnership with council systems, not instead of them.
Where could it overlap or compete, particularly with:
Commercial services
There may be some surface-level overlap with other apps or local directories, in that Loci helps people discover local information and activity. The difference is that Loci is built as a trusted local community app, with councils, residents and local businesses all in one place. It is designed around local connection and public value, not just listings or advertising.
Council-run platforms
Loci is not intended to replace council-run platforms. Where councils already have strong digital channels, Loci works as an added engagement layer around them. Its role is to help residents navigate local life more easily and give councils a clearer community-facing presence in a space that feels more natural and accessible day to day. We signpost and help surface to residents the platforms and services the council already offers, not to compete with them.
Statutory digital services
Loci does not replace statutory digital services and is not positioned as a platform for official transactions. Those services remain owned and managed by the council. Where residents need to complete a formal action, Loci signposts them to the right council-managed route.
How do you ensure Loci does not undermine council income-generating services?
We are careful not to position Loci as a substitute for council-run paid services or income-generating activity. Our role is to support visibility, awareness and engagement around what already exists, helping residents find the right route rather than diverting them away from it.
How is Loci positioned publicly so residents understand it is:
Not replacing council systems
We ensure that message is kept clear in how we describe the platform. Loci is a local community app that connects residents, councils, and businesses in one place. It supports communication, discovery and engagement, but it does not replace the council website, CRM or statutory services. In the council services section of the app, the header clearly states “All services are provided by your local council and accessed via official council websites and systems, for example: "councildomain.gov.uk”.
Not an official transactional platform
We are clear that Loci is not the place to complete official council transactions. Where a resident needs to report, apply, pay or manage a formal service, Loci points them to the correct council-owned system.
How do you manage expectations around what Loci can and cannot do?
We manage expectations by being upfront about Loci’s role. It is there to make local information easier to find, local communication easier to navigate and community life easier to see in one place. It supports councils with engagement and visibility, but official service delivery and transactions stay with the council’s own systems.