THE local news media sector, including the Ludlow and Tenbury Wells Advertiser, has come together to launch an industry digital portal to further promote public notices to communities and enhance local democracy by harnessing local media’s massive online audiences. Funded by £1 million from the Google News Initiative, the project will see the creation of a common online portal containing public notices published in print by regional and local newspapers across the UK. The project will see public notices surfaced on the main pages of local news websites, further enhancing people’s access to and understanding of important information about planning, construction, transport links, roadworks, licensing changes and the like in their local area.