Wokingham

Since the launch of Wokingham District Council’s new website in October, visitors who have offered feedback on the new site have all been entered into a competition to win £50 in high street vouchers. The time has come for the prize to be drawn – and users’ comments continue to be considered.

Response to the new website has been positive - Wokingham council’s web team has received 117 comments from the public since the site was launched, with 75% of visitors making positive observations and congratulating the council on the website’s ease of use, improved design and simpler structure.

Website visitor Amy Dutton said: “The new site is much better than the previous one, it looks fresh and modern, easy to use and to find things. It makes you want to visit again!”

And Katie Phillips, who visited the site to renew a library book, said: “As someone who has worked to design websites in the past, I think your new look is a fantastic improvement on the old one, and it's so much easier to navigate.”

“The feedback we’ve received has told us not only what people think of the site, but the kind of things they use it for the most – many people visit the council’s website to renew their library books or to apply for jobs, as well as paying bills and reporting fly-tipping. I’m pleased to see so many people using our online services and feeling happy with the improvements we’ve made,” said website manager Nick Spencer.

The £50 voucher has been won by Mr Patrick Garrett of Swallowfield, who sent feedback offering constructive suggestions on the website’s text sizes.

“Mr Garrett’s ideas are very important, as are the views of all our website visitors,” said Nick Spencer. “Mr Garrett has mentioned another website that he finds easier to use so I will definitely be taking a look at that one to see their ideas. It is great to see residents sending us their constructive comments because our aim is to make this website as effective and simple to use as it can be, and we hope it will evolve with users’ needs.”

Wokingham District Council’s website at www.wokingham.gov.uk has been redesigned and restructured with less jargon and clearer page design. The new look website, delivered on time after a period of consultation with customers and staff, has been available online since October 16. As well as providing information, the website is interactive and allows residents to do many things instantly, online, which would otherwise require a phone call, letter or even a visit to the council offices. Anyone who hasn’t got access to the internet at home can use the computers in the district’s libraries, or a computer in reception at the civic offices for free access to the site.
Residents can go online to pay council tax, submit comments on planning applications, renew library books and pay parking fines, as well as a host of other tasks, and can find information about waste collections, council meetings, school catchment areas and local clubs, among many other council services.

There is also a brand new postcode search facility where residents can look up their property for links to useful information about property prices, council tax, waste collections, nearby doctors and other details of their immediate area.

Wokingham council’s ‘community network’ of mini-sites for community organisations who do not have the technology to create their own websites is even easier to access. Anyone interested in this aspect of the website should contact website manager Nicholas Spencer on (0118) 974 6109.

Chief executive Doug Patterson said: “I’m pleased with the easier access to services that our residents now have. A website is not static, however, and we will continue to consider feedback and comments on the new site. It’s good to see residents making full use of the facilities and telling us how we can make their visit to the site better still.”

The council’s web team will be holding a ‘surgery’ for people with questions about how to use the website, at Wokingham Library on January 12 from 10am until 4pm. Residents are invited to come along and find out more.

Wokingham District Council