MAXIMUM MARKS FOR WEBSITE GIVING DETAILS OF BRIGG SERVICES

FROM CHRIS O'ROURKE, NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL

The North Lincolnshire Council website www.northlincs.gov.uk has been awarded four out of four stars by the Society of Information Technology Managers (Socitm).
Socitm perform an annual review of all 416 council websites nationally and rate each website on a series of tasks. North Lincolnshire Council was one of only 44 councils nationally – and one of only six English unitary authorities – to receive the top mark of four out of four stars.
The Socitm review of our website looked at four tasks:

• Paying your council tax
• Renewing a library book
• Objecting to a planning application
• Reporting a missed bin collection

The review also rated the website on navigation, search function and A-Z, its usability and accessibility, and how well the site performs on a mobile device.
Our website in the main performed well across the board and even received top marks for all points on the mobile test.
The North Lincolnshire Council website was also recommended as an example of national best practice for:

• The navigation, search function and A-Z
• How well the site performs on a mobile device
• Renewing a library book

Throughout the review, we received some fantastic comments from the Socitm reviewers.
Our A-Z feature was described as, “well populated and easy to use”, while another comment said of our mobile site, “This is a fantastic site to use on a mobile. The homepage is really clear and well organised with links that go straight to the info I need – and all of it, including job listings and councillor information renders very nicely. Well done North Lincs!”
Jason Whaler, Assistant Director for Business Support at North Lincolnshire Council, said: “We are constantly striving to improve the quality of our online services. We have recently launched a modern new look for the website and restructured the homepage to make the most popular tasks and information the easiest to find.
“Last year, the Socitm review gave our website three out of four stars; it is fantastic to see our teams’ hard work rewarded with top marks this year!”
We are always interested in your views on our website. Last year, our customers submitted 9,353 page ratings and 452 comments on the pages of our website. This feedback helps us to improve our services and shape the future of our website.

NF adds: Many people in Brigg visit the council's website. We find it really useful for checking bin collection days, viewing information about planning applications and finding out about forthcoming council meetings..