Four publishers have won the right to employ local democracy reporters for the first time – but the ‘big three’ regional publishing giants have retained the lion’s share of the contracts under the BBC-funded scheme .
The BBC has announced the outcome of the latest tendering process with the award of new contracts to run from 1 July to the end of 2027.
It sees four media organisations managing LDR contracts for the first time – Baylis Media, Tindle Newspapers, Highland News & Media, and Northampton-based community radio station NLive.
However more than 80pc of the contracts have again been awarded to Reach plc, Newsquest and National World, which between them will employ 143 of the 165 reporters employed under the scheme.
Of the new publishers joining the scheme, Maidenhead Advertiser publisher Baylis Media – now a community interest company – will manage coverage of Slough Borough Council and the Royal Borough of Windsor.
Inverness-based Highland News and Media is awarded the contracts to cover Highland Council and Moray Council, while Tindle Newspapers will oversee Blaenau Gwent and Powys councils in Wales.
And NLIve wins the contract to cover two councils in Northamptonshire, previously won by JPIMedia and later transferred to Reach.
But although four new publishers are joining the scheme, the overall number of publishers awarded contracts has dropped from 18 in 2021 to 15.
Of the publishers who won contracts the last time they were awarded in 2021, Archant has since been taken over by Newsquest, while both Stonebow Media and Notts TV have ceased trading.
Both the Stonebow Media and Notts TV contracts – which covered Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire respectively – have now been allocated to Reach, which increases its quota of LDRs from 75 to 83.
And three media organisations which continue to operate have also lost contracts – all of them to Reach.
They are Citizen News and Media, which previously held the contract to cover Hackney, Camden and Islington councils, the London Evening Standard, which covered the Greater London Authority, and Radio Exe, which covered Devon County Council and neighbouring authorities.
Publishers from the hyperlocal sector to successfully retain contracts included Brighton & Hove News, Caerphilly Media and Newbury News, while London-based community interest company Social Spider increased the share of contracts it holds from two to three.
Iliffe Media and DC Thomson will each manage four contracts from July, with Iliffe increasing the share of Local Democracy Reporters it will employ from four to seven.
Jason Gibbins, editor of Local News Partnerships for the BBC said: “The result of this process means that every part of the country will be covered by a Local Democracy Reporter.
“The addition of four new contract holders is to be celebrated, and we look forward to them joining existing contract holders in their continued efforts to scrutinise the work of councils and other local public bodies across the UK.
“We would like to thank all organisations who took the time to submit applications.
“It was a very competitive and robust process, highlighting the exceptional standards delivered by regional news outlets across all areas of the UK.”
Table A: Allocated contracts and reporters by operating company
| Company name | Contracts | Reporters |
| Baylis Community Media CIC | 1 | 1 |
| Brighton and Hove News | 1 | 1 |
| Caerphilly Media | 1 | 1 |
| DC Thomson | 4 | 3.5 |
| Highland News and Media | 2 | 1 |
| Iliffe Media Publishing | 4 | 7 |
| National World | 17 | 24 |
| Newbury News & Media | 1 | 1 |
| Newsquest | 26 | 36 |
| NLive Radio | 1 | 1 |
| Radio Manx | 1 | 1 |
| Reach | 54 | 83 |
| Shetland News | 1 | 0.5 |
| Social Spider CIC | 3 | 3 |
| Tindle Newspapers | 1 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 118 | 165 |
Table B: Allocated contracts and reporters by BBC Nation and Region
| BBC Region | Contracts | Reporters |
| East | 9 | 13 |
| East Midlands | 5 | 11 |
| North East | 5 | 9 |
| North West | 14 | 19 |
| South | 9 | 14 |
| South East | 3 | 7 |
| South West | 2 | 4 |
| West | 5 | 7 |
| West Midlands | 7 | 15 |
| Yorkshire & Lincolnshire | 8 | 16 |
| London | 12 | 13 |
| Northern Ireland | 11 | 5.5 |
| Scotland | 17 | 20.5 |
| Wales | 11 | 11 |
| TOTAL | 118 | 165 |
Allocation of LDR contracts to indivdiual local authority areas.
East
| LDRs | Local authorities assigned to contract area | Contract holder |
| 1 | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority | National World |
| Peterborough City Council | ||
| 1 | Cambridgeshire County Council | Reach |
| Cambridgeshire second-tiers | ||
| 1 | Buckinghamshire Council | Newsquest |
| Milton Keynes Council | ||
| 2 | Bedford Borough Council | National World |
| Central Bedfordshire Council | ||
| Luton Borough Council | ||
| 2 | Hertfordshire County Council | Iliffe Media Publishing |
| Hertfordshire second-tiers | ||
| 2 | Essex County Council | Reach |
| Essex second-tiers | ||
| 1 | Southend-on-Sea Borough Council | Newsquest |
| Thurrock Council | ||
| 2 | Norfolk County Council | Newsquest |
| Norfolk second-tiers | ||
| 1 | Suffolk County Council | Iliffe Media Publishing |
East Midlands
| LDRs | Local authorities assigned to contract area | Contract holder |
| 3 | Derbyshire County Council | Reach |
| Derby City Council | ||
| Derbyshire second-tiers | ||
| East Midlands Combined Authority | ||
| 3 | Leicestershire City Council | Reach |
| Leicestershire County Council | ||
| Leicestershire second-tier authorities | ||
| 1 | North Northamptonshire | NLIve Radio |
| West Northamptonshire | ||
| 1 | Rutland County Council | Iliffe Media Publishing |
| 3 | Nottinghamshire County Council | Reach |
| Nottingham City Council | ||
| Nottinghamshire second-tiers |
North East
| LDRs | Local authorities assigned to contract area | Contract holder |
| 2 | South Tyneside Council | National World |
| Sunderland City Council | ||
| Hartlepool Borough Council | ||
| 2 | Newcastle City Council | Reach |
| North Tyneside Council | ||
| Gateshead Council | ||
| North East Combined Authority | ||
| 1 | Northumberland County Council | Reach |
| 1 | Darlington Borough Council | Newsquest |
| Durham County Council | ||
| 3 | Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council | Reach |
| Middlesbrough Council | ||
| Redcar and Cleveland Council | ||
| Tees Valley Combined Authority |
North West
| LDRs | Local authorities assigned to contract area | Contract holder |
| 1 | Blackburn with Darwen Council | Newsquest |
| 3 | Lancashire County Council | National World |
| Blackpool Council | ||
| Lancashire second-tiers | ||
| 2 | Cumberland Council | Newsquest |
| Westmorland and Furness Council | ||
| 1 | Cheshire East Council | Newsquest |
| 1 | Warrington Borough Council | Newsquest |
| St Helens Council | ||
| 2 | Liverpool City Region | Reach |
| Combined Authority | ||
| Liverpool City Council | ||
| Wirral Council | ||
| 1 | Halton Borough Council | Newsquest |
| Cheshire West and Chester Council | ||
| 1 | Knowsley Council | Reach |
| Sefton Council | ||
| 1 | Isle of Man Government | Radio Manx |
| 2 | Greater Manchester CA | Reach |
| Manchester City Council | ||
| Salford City Council | ||
| 1 | Bolton Council | Reach |
| Bury Council | ||
| 1 | Trafford Council | Reach |
| Wigan Council | ||
| 1 | Oldham Council | Reach |
| Rochdale Met Borough Council | ||
| 1 | Tameside Met Borough Council | Reach |
| Stockport Met Borough Council |
South
| LDRs | Local authorities assigned to contract area | Contract holder |
| 2 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council | Newsquest |
| Dorset Council | ||
| 2 | Bracknell Forest Council | Newsquest |
| Reading Borough Council | ||
| Wokingham Borough Council | ||
| 1 | West Berkshire Council | Newbury News |
| 1 | Oxfordshire County Council | Newsquest |
| Oxfordshire second-tiers | ||
| 1 | Slough Borough Council | Baylis Community Media |
| The Royal Borough of Windsor | ||
| 2 | Surrey County Council | Reach |
| Surrey second-tiers | ||
| 3 | Southampton City Council | Newsquest |
| Hampshire County Council | ||
| Hampshire second-tiers | ||
| 1 | Portsmouth City Council | National World |
| 1 | Isle of Wight Council | Newsquest |
South East
| LDRs | Local authorities assigned to contract area | Contract holder |
| 1 | Brighton and Hove City Council | Brighton & Hove News |
| 3 | East Sussex County Council | National World |
| West Sussex County Council | ||
| East Sussex & West Sussex second-tiers | ||
| 3 | Kent County Council | Iliffe Media Publishing |
| Medway Council | ||
| Kent second-tiers |
South West
| LDRs | Local authorities assigned to contract area | Contract holder |
| 1 | Cornwall Council | Reach |
| Council of the Isles of Scilly | ||
| 3 | Devon County Council | Reach |
| Plymouth City Council | ||
| Torbay Council | ||
| Devon second-tiers |
West
| LDRs | Local authorities assigned to contract area | Contract holder |
| 2 | West of England Combined Authority | Reach |
| Bristol City Council | ||
| South Gloucestershire Council | ||
| 1 | Bath & North East Somerset Council | Reach |
| North Somerset Council | ||
| 1 | Gloucestershire County Council | Reach |
| Gloucestershire second-tiers | ||
| 1 | Somerset County Council | Newsquest |
| Somerset second-tiers | ||
| 2 | Swindon Borough Council | Newsquest |
| Wiltshire Council |
West Midlands
| LDRs | Local authorities assigned to contract area | Contract holder |
| 3 | West Midlands Combined Authority | Reach |
| Birmingham City Council | ||
| Solihull Met Borough Council | ||
| 2 | Coventry City Council | Reach |
| Warwickshire County Council | ||
| Warwickshire second-tiers | ||
| 3 | City of Wolverhampton Council | Reach |
| Dudley Met Borough Council | ||
| Sandwell Met Borough Council | ||
| Walsall Council | ||
| 1 | Herefordshire County Council | Newsquest |
| 1 | Worcestershire County Council | Newsquest |
| Worcestershire second-tiers | ||
| 3 | Staffordshire County Council | Reach |
| Stoke-on-Trent City Council | ||
| Staffordshire second-tier authorities | ||
| 2 | Shropshire Council | National World |
| Telford & Wrekin Council |
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
| LDRs | Local authorities assigned to contract area | Contract holder |
| 3 | Leeds City Council | Newsquest |
| Calderdale Council | ||
| City of Bradford Met District Council | ||
| West Yorkshire Combined Authority | ||
| 2 | Kirklees Council | National World |
| Wakefield Council | ||
| 3 | Barnsley Met Borough Council | National World |
| Sheffield City Council | ||
| South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority | ||
| Rotherham Met Borough Council | ||
| 1 | Elected Mayor of Doncaster | National World |
| Doncaster Met Borough Council | ||
| 1 | East Riding of Yorkshire Council | Reach |
| Hull City Council | ||
| 3 | North Yorkshire Council | Newsquest |
| City of York Council | ||
| York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority | ||
| 2 | Lincolnshire County Council | Reach |
| Lincolnshire second-tiers | ||
| 1 | North East Lincolnshire Council | Reach |
| North Lincolnshire Council |
London
| LDRs | Local authorities assigned to contract area | Contract holder |
| 1 | Ealing Council | Reach |
| Hounslow Council | ||
| Hillingdon Council | ||
| 1 | Harrow Council | Reach |
| Brent Council | ||
| 1 | Barnet Council | Social Spider CIC |
| Enfield Council | ||
| Haringey Council | ||
| 1 | Camden Council | Reach |
| Islington Council | ||
| Hackney Council | ||
| 2 | Kensington & Chelsea Council | Reach |
| Westminster Council | ||
| City of London | ||
| Hammersmith & Fulham Council | ||
| 1 | Waltham Forest Council | Social Spider CIC |
| Redbridge Council | ||
| Havering Council | ||
| 1 | Tower Hamlets Council | Social Spider CIC |
| Newham Council | ||
| Barking & Dagenham Council | ||
| 1 | Croydon Council | Reach |
| Sutton Council | ||
| Merton Council | ||
| 1 | Wandsworth Council | Reach |
| Richmond upon Thames Council | ||
| Kingston upon Thames Council | ||
| 1 | Lambeth Council | Reach |
| Southwark Council | ||
| Lewisham Council | ||
| 1 | Bromley Council | Reach |
| Greenwich Council | ||
| Bexley Council | ||
| 1 | Greater London Authority | Reach |
Northern Ireland
| LDRs | Local authorities assigned to contract area | Contract holder |
| 0.5 | Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council | National World |
| 0.5 | Ards and North Down Borough Council | Reach |
| 0.5 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council | National World |
| 0.5 | Belfast City Council | Reach |
| 0.5 | Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council | National World |
| 0.5 | Derry City and Strabane District Council | National World |
| 0.5 | Fermanagh and Omagh District Council | Newsquest |
| 0.5 | Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council | Reach |
| 0.5 | Mid and East Antrim Borough Council | National World |
| 0.5 | Mid Ulster District Council | Newsquest |
| 0.5 | Newry, Mourne and Down District Council | Reach |
Scotland
| LDRs | Local authorities assigned to contract area | Contract holder |
| 1 | Aberdeen City Council | DC Thomson |
| Aberdeenshire Council | ||
| 0.5 | Moray Council | Highland News |
| & Media | ||
| 0.5 | Highland Council | Highland News |
| & Media | ||
| 0.5 | Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | National World |
| 0.5 | Orkney Islands Council | DC Thomson |
| 0.5 | Shetland Islands Council | Shetland News |
| 1 | Argyll and Bute Council | DC Thomson |
| 1 | Angus Council | DC Thomson |
| Dundee City Council | ||
| 1 | Clackmannanshire Council | Newsquest |
| Fife Council | ||
| 1 | Stirling Council | Reach |
| Perth and Kinross Council | ||
| 1 | Renfrewshire Council | Reach |
| Inverclyde Council | ||
| 1 | North Lanarkshire Council | National World |
| East Dunbartonshire Council | ||
| 3 | East Renfrewshire Council | Reach |
| Glasgow City Council | ||
| West Dunbartonshire Council | ||
| 3 | The City of Edinburgh Council | Reach |
| Midlothian Council | ||
| East Lothian Council | ||
| 1 | Falkirk Council | Reach |
| West Lothian Council | ||
| 2 | South Ayrshire Council | Reach |
| East Ayrshire Council | ||
| North Ayrshire Council | ||
| 2 | Dumfries & Galloway Council | Reach |
| Scottish Borders Council | ||
| South Lanarkshire Council |
Wales
| LDRs | Local authorities assigned to contract area | Contract holder |
| 1 | Gwynedd Council | Reach |
| Isle of Anglesey County Council | ||
| 1 | Denbighshire County Council | Reach |
| Conwy County Borough Council | ||
| 1 | Wrexham County Borough Council | Newsquest |
| Flintshire County Council | ||
| 1 | Swansea City Council | Reach |
| Carmarthenshire County Council | ||
| 1 | Pembrokeshire County Council | Newsquest |
| Ceredigion County Council | ||
| 1 | Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council | Reach |
| Bridgend County Borough Council | ||
| 1 | Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council | Reach |
| Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council | ||
| 1 | Cardiff Council | Reach |
| Vale of Glamorgan Council | ||
| 1 | Caerphilly County Borough Council | Caerphilly Media |
| Newport City Council | ||
| 1 | Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council | Tindle Newspapers |
| Powys County Council | ||
| 1 | Torfaen County Borough Council | Newsquest |
| Monmouthshire County Council |
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