The 37 district councillors elected this month have been provided top-spec iPad Pros – along with hundreds of pounds worth of accessories and data plans.
South Holland District Council members chose to buy the highest-powered tablets at a cost of £863.16, along with Apple Smart Keyboard Folio flip-cases, costing an extra £160.94, and a second generation Apple Pencil for each councillor, at £94.11 per unit.
These figures do not include the VAT paid. The retail costs are £1,119, £199 and £119 respectively, but SHDC said it claims back VAT. Excluding VAT, the total cost for the products is £41,373.
The 64GB 12.9-inch iPad Pro was selected by councillors during the last term to replace their current iPads, also provided by the council.
Regular iPads start at £319, including VAT.
An SHDC spokesman said: “A survey of SHDC members was conducted in 2018 around members’ use of ICT equipment and their needs in terms of device types and services.
“This was followed up by a number of meetings of the Council’s Member ICT Working Group. A set of options was provided in order to allow members to compare a number of different models and devices, and several councillors evaluated these options during a trial period.
“A particular focus of the feedback was on aspects of portability, accessibility and members’ essential ICT and systems requirements, including the ability to easily access and read key documents like agendas and applications.”
Like the previous iPads provided to councillors, the iPad Pros also carry an extra monthly cost as they are WiFi and cellular data enabled models. SHDC pays for each councillor’s data contract of £15.50 per councillor per month, totalling a £573.50 monthly bill, costing £27,528 across the councillors’ four-year term.
An SHDC spokesman said: “Following a successful trial period involving a working group of councillors, a decision was made to upgrade to the new devices, as they felt that the new technology would enhance their ability to work more effectively through better connectivity in the office, at home and out and about – both with council officers and residents across the district.
“Another of the major benefits to the newer technology is the enhanced security and better protection of data this gives as well as a larger screen size.”
The council said cutting down on printing was a factor in the purchase.
“As a council, we are committed to driving down printing and postage costs wherever possible, and the long-term environmental and financial benefits that this brings. Since councillors introduced iPads there has been a 66 per cent reduction in the printing of agendas annually, along with a 73 per cent reduction in postage costs and 66 per cent of officer time spent on preparing meeting papers.
“Councillors felt that these benefits represented good value for money for the additional security and flexibility they provide.”
The 64GB iPad Pro model selected has the lowest storage capacity, with three models above it higher in price.
