Ashfield Council to spend £18,000 buying all new councillors Samsung tablets

The Ashfield Independent-led authority has approved a delegated decision to spend £18,000 on the new technology, so councillors can access minutes and agendas for meetings, send emails, conduct research and make video calls.

Documents say council officers trialled the Samsung Galaxy S7 FE devices to ensure they could function for newly-elected members.

The device features a 12-inch screen, with the authority saying this will “ensure minutes and agendas are easily read”.

They will also have a good battery life, are compatible with Microsoft Office, feature front and rear cameras and are “relatively light in weight”.

Papers say the device has been tested by the authority’s democratic services team and is the “preferred model to enable members to carry out their role”.

Other models tested included Windows laptops, Apple iPads and Chromebooks.

However, Chromebooks were not compatible with Microsoft Office, were reliant on internet access and were “heavy”, iPads were deemed to be “too expensive for large screen format” and Windows laptops were heavy and did not offer good battery life.

The authority will buy 35 tablets – one for each elected member – alongside 35 cover cases which also feature a keyboard.

The delegated decision, taken this month, approved the £18,000 purchase, which works out at £515 per councillor – and comes just a few weeks after the Ashfield Independents-controlled authority agreed to raise council tax for all residents in Ashfield by 2.94 per cent.

In a report, the authority said: “The devices will primarily be used for access to electronic minutes and agendas for council meetings, but also research, email, and video calls.

“The benefits of the device are… 12-inch screen which ensures minutes and agendas are easily read, good battery, compatible with Microsoft Office, front and rear cameras, clear and bright screen, good keyboard, light in weight.

“The Samsung tablet has been tested by the democratic services team and selected members and is the preferred model to enable members to carry out their role.”

The council says it has “a duty to ensure members have access to the necessary resources” to perform their duties as a councillor.

The new group of politicians will be elected onto the authority on May 4.