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Top 10 Guidelines for UK local government websites

6. Provide uniform basic content

Local authorities need to ensure that their website content conforms to e-GIF and internationally recognised accessibility standards such as WAI to ensure a consistent look and feel across government websites. This negates users having to re-learn with each visit to a government website how it should be navigated and used.

Furthermore, local Government websites should offer a core set of consistent and uniform content to users. Users should expect to find this core set of content across local authority websites to assist in providing a common user experience and consistent look and feel.

The type of core content local government websites should contain includes contact information on the homepage. This could include:

• location of area, with map link
• location of offices, with map link
• main switchboard number
• email contact
• link to emergency numbers via ‘999 – help’ link

Within easy access from the homepage, users should also be offered information about:

• all local authority services, regardless of the level of local government involved
• detailed contact lists, especially where email addresses are available
• all statutory plans and documents
• complaints procedures
• elected representatives
• the forward plan
• opening hours for different offices
• links to local offices of central government, particularly where direct provision of local services is involved
• availability of a search engine on the website and a service A-Z
• copies of recent news releases
• details of public consultations
• diary of public meetings and council committees
• councillor surgery times/dates/location
• information on council expenditure and performance
• council job vacancies
• details of local policy priorities and objectives
• plans for developing e-government

Users should be given the opportunity to:

• make comments and give feedback about the website. In providing email contact details you should consider the use of generic or team email addresses. See section 2.2.4 of Guidelines for UK Government: Illustrated handbook for web management teams at:

Web guidelines

• contact relevant departments online using web forms (avoid proprietary email forms—not every user will have the software to use them)

Except when it is updated in advance of print, information should be consistent with printed information.

Documents should state when they were last updated.

Where online forms and email contacts are made available, users should be told when they are likely to get a response.

Relevant resources

Useful advice about website content in offered in SOCITM’s latest Better Connected 2003 survey of UK local authority websites, available at:

http://www.socitm.gov.uk/Public/insight/publications/Better+Connected+03.htm [external link]

The Local Government Association has published a paper Implementation of electronic voting in the UK, available at:

http://www.lga.gov.uk/Publication.asp?lsection=28&id=SXB6BB- [external link]