Council’s Communication and Engagement Manager Alistair Gray says, “we’ve upgraded our website template and used this as an opportunity to give our digital front counter a fresh, new look.

“Every year the council website receives over 400,000 visits so it’s important that it works well for residents as they undertake different tasks throughout the year such as checking opening hours, applying for consents or licences, searching information, paying for services and more.

“Straight away people will notice the new look of the homepage – it’s cleaner and more streamlined – and the site architecture has been designed based on resident feedback. We’ve also kept the most popular links at the top of the home page and ensured the search functionality is available throughout the site.”

The Council website was last updated in 2015 and the redevelopment has been undertaken with existing budget. So, what’s new?

• A new, fresh look and feel
• It’s been designed with the user in mind and meets accessibility guidelines
• The menu navigation is simpler and it’s easier for residents to find what they’re looking for
• Search is enhanced and predictive
• Over time we’ll be adding more content and taking on board customer feedback to improve the website even more.

“The website is a key customer portal for the Council and our aim is to make it as simple and effective for people to find what they’re looking for.

“These changes are part of an ongoing series of upgrades planned over the coming year to improve the digital experience for residents while they’re doing business with the council.”