Somerset Council has approved spending up to £5 million to replace around 5,000 ageing laptops used by its staff across the county.

Officers reviewed the IT estate after the council's formation and delayed mass replacement to ease the transition, but say a full refresh is now essential. The rollout will run through to April 2028, with old laptops recycled, donated, or sold to recoup some costs.

ICT officer Jack Bligh said the replacement is needed to maintain efficiency, security and compliance as current devices will soon be unsupported and risk data protection issues.

An initial £4.5 million has been budgeted, with flexibility up to £5 million depending on staffing levels. Spending is planned across the 2025/26, 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years, with procurement designed to reduce costs and simplify deployment.

The council has not named its supplier, citing commercial sensitivity, but said new devices will use recycled materials and support staff productivity and well‑being.

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