New Scottish councils fix identity plans

Identity work is set to boom in Scotland with the formation of 29 new single-tier local authorities. In Edinburgh, councillors were this week considering proposals to use an external consultancy.

City of Edinburgh District Council and Lothian Regional Council are merging to form a new council, provisionally titled the City of Edinburgh Council.

Lothian Regional Council’s principal officer for communications and marketing Isabell Reid says: “We are recommending that we ask external groups to pitch.”

At least one consultancy, Tayburn McIlroy Coates, has already made a credentials pitch. It is believed two or three consultancies will be shortlisted.

Glasgow, which faces a similar switch to unitary status, is considering designing its new council identity either in-house or externally, says John Brown, head of public relations and marketing at the new City of Glasgow Council.