WCAG 2.2 AA Council Websites on Official .gov.uk Domains — Built for Cumbrian Councils
200+
Websites Built
2020
Established In Cumbria
24/7
Customer Support
Two Legal Requirements Most Council Websites Fail On
The Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 require all council websites to meet WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standards and to publish an accessibility statement. The .gov.uk domain policy requires eligible public bodies — including parish and town councils — to use official .gov.uk addresses for their main presence.
Most council websites in Cumbria fail on at least one of these. Many fail on both — using commercial domains and built without proper accessibility assessment, leaving the council exposed to formal complaints and enforcement action. We fix both problems as standard. Every council website we build is on a .gov.uk domain and is WCAG 2.2 AA assessed before launch — with every barrier found and fixed, not just reported.
Every council website we build includes official .gov.uk domain registration — we are approved registrars and handle the full application on your behalf. Our approach to WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility compliance is documented in full on our accessibility page. Councils needing the domain only, without a full website build, can use our standalone Parish Council Domain Helper service.
We also build websites beyond parish councils — see our Web Design Cumbria hub for general business projects.
Everything Included — No Hidden Extras
.gov.uk Domain Included
WCAG 2.2 AA Assessed
Clerk-Friendly CMS
Fixed Price, Full Spec
WCAG 2.2 AA Accessibility — Why Generic Checkers Are Not Enough
Automated accessibility checkers — the kind built into most web development tools — identify approximately 30% of real WCAG 2.2 AA barriers. The remaining 70% require human assessment: checking that keyboard navigation works for every function, that focus indicators are visible on every interactive element, that form error messages are clear and specific, that heading structures make sense when read linearly by a screen reader, that colour contrast passes for all text including text on images and overlaid text.
We built our own WCAG 2.2 AA assessment tool specifically because the available tools were not sufficient for the standard of compliance we needed to deliver for public sector clients. Our tool combines automated checking with a structured human review process, producing a report that maps every barrier to the specific fix required — not a list of issues for you to interpret and manage.
We then implement every fix. You receive a council website that is genuinely compliant at launch, with the accessibility statement your council is legally required to publish. If you have an existing council website you are uncertain about, we can audit it and tell you exactly where it stands — and what needs to change to bring it into compliance.
Our Experience With Cumbrian Councils
We have built council websites for parish and town councils across Cumbria. Here is what that experience means for your project.
We understand the governance structure. Council websites are not like commercial websites. Decisions go through committees. Content needs to be approved. Meeting minutes need to be published promptly and in accessible formats. Agendas need to be available before meetings. We build content workflows that support how councils actually operate — not how a generic web agency assumes they work.
Local Government Content Requirements
We know what needs to be on a council website — the statutory content requirements, the planning notices, the financial information, the councillor details, the contact information for the clerk, the links to the relevant district and county council, the emergency contact information. We do not need you to specify every piece of statutory content — we know what is required and we build it in as standard.
Post-Launch Support
We remain available after launch. When your clerk changes, we can provide onboarding for the new person. When you need to add a page, we can do it or show you how. When a plugin update breaks something, we fix it. We offer maintenance retainers for councils that want ongoing support — and ad-hoc support for those who prefer to call when needed. You will not be handed a finished website and abandoned.
Our Experience
Why Choose Whamos for Your Council Website
What Every Council Website Includes
- .gov.uk domain registration — handled by us as part of the project.
- WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility assessment — using our in-house tool, every barrier fixed before launch.
- Accessibility statement — published on the site as legally required.
- WordPress CMS — simple enough for any clerk to use without training.
- Mobile-optimised — fully functional on all devices.
- Core Web Vitals compliant — Google performance standards met.
- Schema markup — LocalGovernmentOffice structured data via our Technophobia SEO plugin.
- SSL — enforced HTTPS, secure and monitored.
- Meeting minutes and agendas — structured for easy upload.
- Contact forms — properly labelled and accessible.
- GDPR-compliant privacy and cookie policies.
- Full clerk training and handover session.
Parish and Town Council Websites — Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — parish and town councils in England are eligible for .gov.uk domains and are strongly encouraged to use them. A .gov.uk address signals to residents that the website is the official council presence. We are an approved .gov.uk registrar and handle the application as part of every council website project at no additional charge.
Yes. The Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 require all council websites to meet WCAG 2.2 AA and to publish an accessibility statement. This is a legal requirement, not a guideline. Every site we build for councils is compliant at launch, with the accessibility statement included and published. If your current site does not meet this standard, your council is exposed to formal complaints.
Yes — this is a core requirement of every council site we build. We use WordPress with a simple, structured CMS that any clerk can use to update pages, upload minutes, publish agendas, and manage documents. Full training at handover is included. If your clerk changes or needs a refresher at any point, we are available to help.
If your council website does not meet WCAG 2.2 AA, you are not compliant with the regulations. We can audit your existing site using our in-house tool, produce a full report of every barrier, and either implement the fixes on your existing site or build a new compliant site. We recommend getting an audit done promptly if you are uncertain about your current compliance status.
Typically four to six weeks from when content is supplied. The .gov.uk domain application runs in parallel with the build. The main variable is how quickly the council can supply content — councillor details, committee information, existing minutes and agendas. We provide a content checklist at the start of every project to make this straightforward.
Need a Compliant Council Website for Your Cumbrian Parish or Town?
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