diff --git a/newswires/app/AppComponents.scala b/newswires/app/AppComponents.scala
index 765479fc..c2ae54ce 100644
--- a/newswires/app/AppComponents.scala
+++ b/newswires/app/AppComponents.scala
@@ -46,8 +46,11 @@ class AppComponents(context: Context)
     .build()
 
   if (context.environment.mode == Mode.Dev) {
-    // TODO run against a local DB?
-    Database.configureRemoteDevDb(ssmClient)
+    if (sys.env.contains("USE_CODE_DB")) {
+      Database.configureRemoteDevDb(ssmClient)
+    } else {
+      Database.configureLocalDevDB()
+    }
   } else if (context.environment.mode == Mode.Prod) {
     Database.configureDeployedDb(configuration)
   }
diff --git a/newswires/app/conf/Database.scala b/newswires/app/conf/Database.scala
index 39354b90..e2bc0abd 100644
--- a/newswires/app/conf/Database.scala
+++ b/newswires/app/conf/Database.scala
@@ -110,4 +110,25 @@ object Database extends Logging {
 
     ConnectionPool.singleton(new DataSourceConnectionPool(ds))
   }
+
+  def configureLocalDevDB(): Unit = {
+    logger.info("building DB config for connecting to local DB")
+
+    val username = "postgres"
+    val port = "5432"
+    val address = "localhost"
+    val databaseName = "newswires"
+
+    val ds = new AwsWrapperDataSource()
+    ds.setJdbcProtocol("jdbc:postgresql:")
+    ds.setServerName(address)
+    ds.setDatabase(databaseName)
+    ds.setServerPort(port)
+    ds.setTargetDataSourceClassName("org.postgresql.ds.PGSimpleDataSource")
+    ds.setPassword("postgres")
+    ds.setUser(username)
+
+    ConnectionPool.singleton(new DataSourceConnectionPool(ds))
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/scripts/start b/scripts/start
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..66d7b138
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/start
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -e
+
+green='\x1B[0;32m'
+red='\x1B[0;31m'
+plain='\x1B[0m' # No Color
+
+AWS_PROFILE='editorial-feeds'
+POSTGRES_PORT='5432'
+APP_NAME='newswires'
+EXISTING_TUNNELS=$(ps -ef | grep ssh | grep ${POSTGRES_PORT} | grep -v grep || true)
+
+DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
+ROOT_DIR=${DIR}/..
+
+
+# copied over from the Grid. Not 100% sure of the rationale, but perhaps: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/56520354/getting-an-amazonkinesisexception-status-code-502-when-using-localstack-from-ja
+export AWS_CBOR_DISABLE=true
+
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  if [ "$arg" == "--debug" ]; then
+    IS_DEBUG=true
+    shift
+  fi
+  if [ "$arg" == "--use-CODE" ]; then
+    USE_CODE=true
+    shift
+  fi
+done
+
+isInstalled() {
+  hash "$1" 2>/dev/null
+}
+
+hasCredentials() {
+  STATUS=$(aws sts get-caller-identity --profile ${AWS_PROFILE} 2>&1 || true)
+  if [[ ${STATUS} =~ (ExpiredToken) ]]; then
+    echo -e "${red}Credentials for the ${AWS_PROFILE} profile are expired. Please fetch new credentials and run this again.${plain}"
+    exit 1
+  elif [[ ${STATUS} =~ ("could not be found") ]]; then
+    echo -e "${red}Credentials for the ${AWS_PROFILE} profile are missing. Please ensure you have the right credentials.${plain}"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+}
+
+checkRequirement() {
+  if ! isInstalled "$1"; then
+    echo -e "${red}[MISSING DEPENDENCY] $1 not found. Please install $1${plain}"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+}
+
+checkRequirements() {
+  # server side
+  checkRequirement java
+  checkRequirement sbt
+
+  # client side
+  checkRequirement npm
+
+  # used for postgres and AWS localstack
+  checkRequirement docker
+
+  # other
+  checkRequirement nginx
+  checkRequirement aws
+}
+
+tunnelToAwsDb() {
+    if (docker stats --no-stream &> /dev/null); then
+      docker compose down
+    fi
+    if [[ -n $EXISTING_TUNNELS ]]; then
+      echo "RE-USING EXISTING TUNNEL TO CODE POSTGRES (on port ${POSTGRES_PORT})"
+    else
+      ssm ssh -t ${APP_NAME},CODE -p ${AWS_PROFILE} -x --newest --rds-tunnel 5432:${APP_NAME},CODE
+      echo "TUNNEL ESTABLISHED TO CODE POSTGRES (on port ${POSTGRES_PORT})"
+    fi
+}
+
+startDockerContainers() {
+  if [[ $EXISTING_TUNNELS ]]; then
+    echo "KILLING EXISTING TUNNEL TO CODE POSTGRES (on port ${POSTGRES_PORT})"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2046
+    kill $(echo "${EXISTING_TUNNELS}" | awk '{print $2}')
+  fi
+  docker compose up -d
+}
+
+startIngestionLambda() {
+  pushd "$ROOT_DIR/ingestion-lambda"
+  npm install
+  npm run dev
+  popd
+}
+
+startPlayApp() {
+  # pushd to find build.sbt and allow this script to be executed from any location (but ideally from the project root)
+  echo "========================================================="
+  echo "= Press cmd-C then cmd-D to stop"
+  echo "========================================================="
+  pushd "$ROOT_DIR/${APP_NAME}"
+  if [ "$IS_DEBUG" == true ] ; then
+    SBT_OPTS="-jvm-debug 5005"
+  fi
+  if [[ $USE_CODE == true ]]; then
+    sbt "${SBT_OPTS} run"
+  else
+    sbt "${SBT_OPTS} run"
+  fi
+  popd
+}
+
+checkNodeVersion() {
+  runningNodeVersion=$(node -v)
+  requiredNodeVersion=$(cat "$ROOT_DIR/.nvmrc")
+
+  if [ "$runningNodeVersion" != "$requiredNodeVersion" ]; then
+    echo -e "${red}Using wrong version of Node. Required ${requiredNodeVersion}. Running ${runningNodeVersion}.${plain}"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+}
+
+checkForJavaHome() {
+  echo "Checking JAVA_HOME"
+  if [[ -z "$JAVA_HOME" ]]; then
+    echo "  JAVA_HOME not set, please set it before continuing"
+    echo "  This can be done by adding \"export JAVA_HOME=\$(/usr/libexec/java_home)\" to ~/.profile"
+    exit 1
+  else
+    echo "  JAVA_HOME is set to $JAVA_HOME"
+  fi
+}
+
+main() {
+    checkForJavaHome
+    hasCredentials
+    checkRequirements
+    checkNodeVersion
+    if [ "$USE_CODE" == "true" ]; then
+        echo "Using CODE. Starting play app with tunnel to AWS DB."
+        tunnelToAwsDb && USE_CODE_DB=true startPlayApp
+    else
+      echo "Using the local stack. Starting Docker, Ingestion Lambda and Play App."
+      # run all three, and terminate together when the user presses `ctrl+c`: https://stackoverflow.com/a/52033580
+      (trap 'kill 0' SIGINT; startDockerContainers && startIngestionLambda & startPlayApp & wait)
+    fi
+
+}
+
+main
\ No newline at end of file