Southwark’s “Civic‑Crown Jewel” Worth £171k? The Betterpoints App Turns Out to Be a Tiny Spark
Picture this: a council rolls out a shiny new app, tells everyone it’s the answer to greener, healthier commuting, and spends an eye‑watering £171,000 on it. Turns out people have only 1,300 downloads, a mere 0.3% of Southwark’s real‑life residents. And every active user is getting a whisper of a reward – just £1.60 a month on average.
The App’s Full‑Speed Launch (and Slow‑Bubbling Results)
- What it promised: walk, cycle, take the tube and earn points.
- Reality check: 1,300 in the password‑protection realm.
- Cash flow: £1.60/month per user – small, but hey, it’s there!
Where the Big Spend Went
- Design, procurement, promotion & day‑to‑day management: nearly £120,000.
- Rewards for the living‑well crowd: only a sliver of that budget actually touched a user’s pocket.
The Liberal Democrats Call It a “Vanity Project”
“You want a green, happy city? Throw money at a fancy app and call it an eco‑revolution.”
Victor Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat Group Leader), sharpened the jab: “Here’s what the Labour Council means when they say they spend citizens’ pennies as if it were their own – a glorified waste spree. With the cost‑of‑living crisis raging, spending public money like candy is downright offensive.”
His vision: ditch the app, ditch the fluff, and pour the bulk of that money into real infrastructure – bike lanes, footpaths, better bus stops and, yes, a few green parks that actually let people get around without a screen in their hand.
Bottom Line – A Curious Appendix in Southwark’s Finances
Spend big. Use small. Maybe it’s time to replace “Betterpoints” with “Better‑points‑in‑the-ground.” The votes of the community aren’t just about traffic lights; they’re about walking, bike‑riding and actually feeling good. So, let’s swap the digital flash for solid concrete.
