Local Democracy Reporting Service

Waltham Forest Echo publisher Social Spider CIC is one of 18 local media groups that have been awarded contracts as part of the BBC Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) for the period 2021-2024.

Launched in 2017, LDRS provides 165 journalism jobs to help fill a gap in the reporting of local democracy issues across the UK.

The journalists are funded by the BBC, but employed by regional news organisations. The news content they generate is then made available to more than 1,000 partner publications, as well as to the BBC itself.


This story is published by Waltham Forest Echo, Waltham Forest's free monthly newspaper and free news website. We are a not-for-profit publication, published by a small social enterprise. We have no rich backers and rely on the support of our readers. Donate or become a supporter.


The purpose of LDRS is to provide impartial coverage of the regular business and workings of local authorities in the UK, and other relevant democratic institutions. The brief of LDRS reporters is to report on the decision-making process; what decisions are made in the public’s name, how they are arrived at, and what evidence is presented to the council.

Any LDRS content published by the Echo is always attributed as Local Democracy Reporter, First Name, Last Name.

For more information about LDRS and how it works: Visit bbc.com/lnp/ldrs