Islington Looking Local Digital TV Service

Islington Council presents a new and easy way to access local information, advice and services… all through your TV!

Got fly-tipping or graffiti to report? Want to order a new recycling box, or check when your next bus arrives? If you are a Sky or Virgin digital TV subscriber, you can now do these things and more through your very own TV! You can even access other local service providers such as Job Centre Plus and Transport for London, all via your remote control. See

About Islington Looking Local

Islington Looking Local is an interactive Digital TV micro-site providing access to online council information and services. Islington’s micro-site is hosted within the Looking Local umbrella portal, which is owned and operated as a not for profit service by Kirklees Council. The service has over 75 other local authorities signed up and was initially launched by the ODPM (Office of Deputy Prime Minister).

The council wants to ensure that all Islington residents have the ability to access online information, but realises that while many of residents are not broadband enabled, they do subscribe to a digital TV service. Looking Local allows the council to provide streamlined online services (formatted for TV) to these residents, utilising their own TV set.

Accessing the Service

The service is available to all subscribers of Sky and Virgin Media.

Sky subscribers can navigate to the site by using their remote control:

• press the Interactive button on your Sky remote control
• choose DirectGov
• press 'select' on the welcome page
• choose 1 - Local services

Virgin Media customers should:

• press the Interactive button
• select 'News and info'
• select Looking Local

The service is currently only available to Sky and Virgin Media subscribers, however we are actively looking at ways in which we can make the service more widely available via Digital TV. Please watch for further announcements in 2008.

Mobile phone users are also able to connect to the service via www.islington.gov.uk/tsg/mobile.

Services Available

The service is a mixture of information and transaction services. Users are able to read information on topics including crime and safety and leisure and culture, and also benefit from a number of transaction services such as:

• view your rent statement
• view your council tax balance
• pay your rent
• pay your council tax
• pay your housing service charge
• report an environmental problem
• pay your parking fine
• report a housing repair (Homes for Islington customers only)
• report anti-social behaviour
• check out the latest in real-time Islington and London travel information
• check out the latest job vacancies in Islington and London
• bid on Home Connections
• NHS Choices

Cost of the Service

The service is very cost effective as it is designed for use by local authorities only. The council pays a small subscription fee each year to Kirklees Council and they take care of the technical operation and maintenance of the service.

There is no cost to use the service. It is made available as part of the monthly Sky and Virgin Media subscriptions.