Council Websites Cumbria
Whamos Ltd specialises in building professional, accessible websites for parish councils, town councils, and other public bodies across Cumbria. We understand the unique requirements of local government websites — the legal accessibility obligations under the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018, the transparency and document publication requirements, the importance of security, and the specific eligibility criteria for .gov.uk domain registration.
We have built and maintain council websites for several Cumbrian councils and completed .gov.uk domain migrations for qualifying councils. Our council websites are built on WordPress — the platform most familiar to council clerks and members who need to update content regularly without technical expertise. Every site is built to WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards, ensuring legal compliance and maximum accessibility for all residents, including those using screen readers, keyboard navigation, or high-contrast display settings. This work complements our broader Cumbria web design service.
Our Council Website Projects
Millom Town Council
We designed and built the Millom Town Council website at millomtowncouncil.uk. The site prioritises accessibility and ease of use, with intuitive navigation to all council documents, meeting agendas and minutes, and local information for residents. Built to WCAG 2.1 AA standards with a clean, professional design that reflects the council’s commitment to transparency and resident service. The council clerk can update content, upload new documents, and add meeting notices independently without technical assistance.
Millom Without Parish Council
We built the Millom Without Parish Council website and completed the council’s .gov.uk domain migration — making it one of the first Cumbrian parish councils to operate at millomwithoutparishcouncil.gov.uk. The site includes a comprehensive document library, meeting calendar with full historical archive, councillor profiles and contact information, and local information for residents across the Millom Without parish area. The Google Lighthouse accessibility score for this site is among the highest we have achieved for any project. See our dedicated .gov.uk domain migration service.
Seascale Parish Council
We redesigned the Seascale Parish Council website at seascaleparishcouncil.co.uk, significantly improving navigation, document accessibility, and mobile usability. The redesign introduced a cleaner information architecture that allows residents to find agenda items, minutes, and council policies quickly on any device.
What Every Council Website Must Include
WCAG 2.1 Accessibility Compliance
Public sector bodies in the UK are legally required to meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards. This means correct heading structure so screen readers can navigate content logically; sufficient colour contrast between text and backgrounds; full keyboard navigability without requiring a mouse; descriptive link text that makes sense out of context; alt text for all informational images; and accessible PDF documents. We build every council website to these standards from the start, testing with automated tools and manual keyboard and screen reader checks before launch. We also provide an accessibility statement — a legal requirement — and a process for residents to report accessibility issues.
Document Management
Council transparency legislation requires publication of a wide range of documents — meeting agendas and minutes, annual governance and accountability returns, financial reports, risk assessments, planning committee reports, standing orders, and the model publication scheme. We implement clean, well-organised document libraries categorised by type and date, making it easy for the clerk to upload new documents and for residents to find the documents they need quickly. All documents are published as accessible PDFs, clearly labelled and organised.
Meeting Calendar
A clear, up-to-date calendar of all council meetings — full council, planning committee, finance committee, and any other standing committees — is essential for resident engagement and legal compliance with public meeting notification requirements. We implement meeting calendars that are easy for clerks to maintain and easy for residents to read on any device.
Councillor Information
Ward maps, councillor profiles with contact information, committee membership lists, and the register of interests provide residents with the transparency they are entitled to and the contact information they need to engage with their elected representatives.
Straightforward Content Management
Council clerks are not web developers, and council websites should not require web development expertise to maintain. The WordPress CMS is specifically chosen because non-technical users can genuinely manage it. Adding an agenda before a meeting, uploading minutes afterwards, or updating the clerk’s contact details takes minutes and requires no technical knowledge. We provide thorough training at handover and ongoing support by phone and email.
.gov.uk Domain Migration Service
If your parish or town council is eligible for a .gov.uk domain — and most English parish and town councils are — we strongly recommend making the switch. A .gov.uk address immediately signals to residents that your council is a genuine, verified public authority. It significantly improves email deliverability. And it improves your council’s search visibility. See our dedicated .gov.uk domain migration service page for the full process, timeline, and pricing.
Pricing
Council websites start from £600 for a standard council website on a commercial domain. Websites on a .gov.uk domain, combined with the migration service, start from £800. All prices are fixed and agreed before work begins. We can provide a formal written quotation suitable for council committee approval and are experienced with public body procurement requirements, including formal quotation thresholds and the requirement to obtain multiple quotes for expenditure above certain levels.
Call 01229 774591 to discuss your council’s requirements, or get in touch online. We are happy to present to council members and committees to explain our service and answer questions.
Long-Term Support for Cumbrian Councils
Council websites need ongoing support — clerks change, councils grow, legislation changes, and the website must evolve to remain compliant and useful. Our website maintenance plans from £30/month provide ongoing WordPress updates, daily backups, and content update allowances specifically structured for council needs. Many of our council clients also benefit from our .gov.uk domain renewal management service, ensuring their government domain registration is renewed on time. And when a council’s website needs expanding — new pages for new services, new document categories, or new functionality — we are available to handle those changes quickly and affordably. See also our .gov.uk domain migration service.