Celebrating the first ever Local Public Ownership Awards!
We’ve paired up with LocalGov and selected some of the most forward-thinking examples of local public ownership from around the UK. You voted for the councils you think deserve a Local Public Ownership Award in 2017, and the results are in!
Since the collapse of Carillion, it is more important than ever to celebrate innovative local public ownership and to encourage local councils to bring their services in house.
Watch our interviews with the winners filmed at Nottingham Castle at our awards ceremony in October to find out what makes them the best examples of local public ownership in the country:
Robin Hood Energy is the first council-owned energy company in the UK. It’s a not-for-profit energy company which challenges the profit-making logic of the ‘big six’ energy firms by helping its customers to keep their tariffs low. Its mission is to provide low cost energy to households in Nottingham and beyond. No shareholders. No director bonuses.
Nottingham City Transport has been named UK Bus Operator of the Year for a record-breaking fourth time, as well as Top City Operator. It boasts an impressive customer satisfaction rate of 97%. The company’s modern, frequent buses have encouraged people to get back on the bus – bus passenger numbers have gone up in Nottingham since 2001 (while declining elsewhere). It also has the country's biggest fleet of eco-friendly biogas buses!
Bristol Energy is the second energy company set up by a local authority. Unlike the major energy companies, Bristol Energy reinvests its profits into the local community and helps their customers to save money by reducing energy consumption with the Smart meter trial. Bristol Energy also offers the option of a 100% renewable electricity tariff, highlighting a forward-thinking approach to public ownership.
Read on for more information about the other wonderful nominees for the 2017 Awards.