In 1987, I was involved in my first government digital project, which aimed to improve access to local council information.

Fast-forward to the time when I led a content team for PwC’s “Engage” project, aimed at creating ideal templates for local authority websites. A sponsoring partner insisted that users had to watch 2‑minute educational videos (on recycling, for example) before allowing them to report something like a missed bin collection. A textbook case of well‑intentioned but ill‑judged digital friction.

Meanwhile, my 89-year-old mother was sent a 16‑digit security code needed to check online when her following bin collection is scheduled.

These aren’t design oversights, but misguided digital governance.

Somerset’s move is déjà vu in action

FixMyStreet is an independent website, built by the charity mySociety to make it easier to report and view problems in your community, even if you don’t know who those reports should go to. It is free and open-source, meaning anyone can use it as part of a local community website.

Somerset Council has announced it will no longer process FixMyStreet reports, asking residents instead to switch to its own “Report It” portal. Fixed with the logic: “It bypasses contact-centre and goes directly to operatives.” Fine in theory. But this move strips away FixMyStreet’s public transparency, shared history of reports and simple usability, which is precisely the kind of alienating redesign I’ve warned about before.

Council “efficiency” or just lockdown?

The council’s argument is that they’re optimising workflows. But what they’re actually doing is erecting walls around citizen input:

• No public tracking or visibility

• No shared conversation stream

• No anon: ymity for people who don’t want to log in

It echoes the same design arrogance I saw in “Engage” at PwC: digital projects built to satisfy internal sponsors, not real users.

Are other councils following suit?

Yes, from time to time other councils also abandon FixMyStreet. A small minority of UK councils historically refused FixMyStreet reports at all. MySociety told me that around 10 councils out of 430 opted out.

But wholesale withdrawal, like Somerset, isn’t mainstream. Instead, many local authorities, including Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Transport for London (TfL), are actually doubling down, upgrading to FixMyStreet Pro, hooking it into CRM or asset-management systems. These remain publicly accessible, transparent and user-friendly.

Since late 2019, TfL has used FixMyStreet (via its branded “Streetcare” service) to handle civic reports related to traffic lights, bus shelters, potholes, graffiti and more across London’s red routes. Reports are clearly visible publicly, routed automatically and updated with status changes.

Unlike Somerset, TfL didn’t abandon the platform. They’ve integrated FixMyStreet Pro directly into their workflows. Their use of the Progressive Web App means residents get a consistent, mobile-friendly UX with no login barriers.

In fact, TfL has taken this further by integrating with Azure Active Directory (Microsoft Entra ID) for secure staff logins and has also conducted accessibility audits, improving compliance .

Where Somerset has effectively shut down public access by shifting to an opaque internal portal, TfL and others have invested in public-facing transparency, seamless integration and modern, inclusive design.

This highlights that it’s possible, and increasingly common, for local authorities to improve services without sacrificing user experience or public trust. They’ve shown how to do it at scale and at pace. It’s a living example of digital transformation done well and a useful benchmark against Somerset’s backward step.

FixMyStreet vs. “Report It” checklist

Digital transparency isn’t optional

FixMyStreet isn’t perfect. Data disparities exist: some areas under-report, some flamboyantly over-report. But the public nature of the platform fosters accountability. Losing that means losing both trust and engagement.

Somerset should ask itself:

• Can “Report It” match public transparency?

• Will they publish resolution statistics & response times?

• Have they tested UX with elderly, digitally vulnerable users?

• Why not integrate FixMyStreet via API, rather than cut it?

Final word

Digital transformation in local government must enhance, not diminish access and clarity. Somerset’s move risks creating an opaque, locked‑in reporting system that echoes the worst of the 1987 project red flags, the PwC Engage project and the 16‑digit-code absurdity.

If Somerset Council pushes ahead, this shift deserves careful scrutiny, not just from residents but from anyone invested in public-facing digital services.

I wrote services for Police.uk, the national portal used by 81% of police forces in England and Wales. Avon & Somerset Police, which operates its own separate digital platform, offers a strong local solution, but it also illustrates the growing fragmentation in public service design.

In an era of austerity, with Somerset Council facing well-publicised financial pressures, it’s worth asking whether building parallel systems really delivers better outcomes or duplicates effort while removing transparency.