In a bold move to address a pressing financial shortfall, Solihull Council is turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to secure what it describes as 'significant savings'. The local authority, which is forecasting a deficit of around £2.7 million for the current financial year, is accelerating its adoption of the technology.
Funding the AI Transformation
The council's ambitious plan was detailed at a meeting of the Resources and Delivering Value Scrutiny Board, held at the Civic Suite on November 24. A funding request was made to the cabinet to utilise £630,800 from the council's transformation fund. This investment is earmarked to hire a dedicated AI programme manager and a Copilot technical expert, both on two-year contracts, as well as to engage a delivery partner to develop robust AI business cases.
Andrew Felton, the council's Director of Resources, identified AI as "the main element that has emerged" from their research. He explained that the initiative stems from extensive work examining transformation projects undertaken by other councils across the UK.
Learning from Success Stories
In a report presented to the board, officers highlighted successful case studies to justify the investment. A key example cited was Derby City Council's SMART AI Transformation Programme, which has reportedly generated £7.5 million in savings. These savings were achieved by automating responses to telephone and web queries, thereby freeing up council staff to focus on more complex and demanding tasks.
Solihull has already been an early adopter of AI, with staff using it to write and record notes more efficiently. However, the new funding represents a strategic shift to a more comprehensive, council-wide rollout, mirroring the approaches that have yielded millions in savings for other local governments.
Debate and Governance
The proposal, however, was met with some scrutiny from councillors. Councillor Edward Fitter questioned the necessity of new roles, suggesting that "the whole point of AI is that it can teach you how to use it" and asking if upskilling existing IT staff or sending directors on training courses would offer better value for money.
In response, Mr. Felton emphasised that the recommended roles were based on direct advice from other councils that are further ahead in their AI journey, stating this is the "right thing to do... to accelerate things".
Other councillors voiced strong support, emphasising the importance of a controlled implementation. Councillor Kathryn Thomas welcomed the early mention of "robust governance", noting the technology's reliance on correct controls, structure, and data quality. Councillor Leslie Kaye called the move "the future", praising the "fantastic" potential for savings across the council, while acknowledging there would be a learning curve.
With the financial pressure mounting, Solihull Council is betting that its investment in artificial intelligence will be the key to balancing its books and modernising its services for the future.
