In our first blog, we shared the start of our journey to transform Colchester.gov.uk into a modern, accessible, and user-friendly website. Today, we’re thrilled to tell you what’s now live, what’s coming next, and how you can help shape the future.
Why This Matters
Your council website is often the first place you go for information, services, and updates. We want that experience to be fast, simple, and stress-free. That’s why we’re building a new, easy-to-use design for the website, set clear rules to keep everything consistent, and used trusted technology that many other councils rely on to make sure it works well for everyone.
The new site is built on LocalGov Drupal, a platform trusted by councils across the UK. This gives us:
- Shared expertise: We’re part of a collaborative network of developers and designers.
- Continuous improvement: We can adopt best practices quickly.
- Accessibility at the core: Designed to meet modern standards so everyone can use it with ease.
What’s New Right Now
We’ve already moved key content to the new platform, including:
- Homepage – a cleaner, more intuitive design.
- Planning – easier to navigate and find what you need.
- News – now with a search facility so you can quickly locate updates.
Practical benefits for you
- Faster navigation: Clear menus and layouts make finding information simpler.
- Mobile-friendly design: Works seamlessly across phones, tablets, and desktops.
- Improved accessibility: Built to meet standards for inclusive use.
- Better search: Starting with news and expanding soon.
What’s Coming Next
We’re working hard to move more of the services you use regularly to this new platform, including:
- Enhanced website search across all areas
- Recycling & rubbish
- Council tax
- Jobs
Your Feedback Shapes the Future
We want this site to work for you. Tell us what you think and help us make it even better: Share your feedback here
Your input helps us prioritise improvements and keep the site evolving.