Built to the two rules a parish council website is measured against.
The accessibility regulations and the Transparency Code. Here is what each one asks, how we build for it, and how we test. No supplier accreditation exists for this, and none is needed; we're an independent supplier and we show our working instead.
In short
- Built to meet WCAG 2.2 AA, checked with automated tests on every change
- Minutes and agendas as web pages, so the meeting papers pass too
- Accessibility statement written for you, from what the site actually does
- Transparency Code checklist on the admin home: published, missing, due
- No cookies, no analytics, no tracking on any council site
The accessibility regulations
The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 have applied to parish and town councils since September 2020. They ask for two things: a website that meets WCAG 2.2 AA, and a published accessibility statement that says how it does and what doesn’t.
Enforcement is driven by complaints from residents, and most councils never hear about it until one arrives. The practical risk is not a fine. It’s a resident who can’t read the minutes, and a clerk who has to explain why to the council.
A July 2026 study by Recite Me, shared by the SLCC, found 98% of pages across the 25 largest councils failed automated WCAG 2.2 checks. The commonest failures were in meeting papers: untagged PDFs, missing headings and tables that screen readers can’t navigate.
How we build for it
- Every council site is built on the GOV.UK Design System, whose components are tested with assistive technology
- Minutes and agendas are published as web pages from the Word document, with real headings, lists and tables; the PDF is a secondary download
- Automated accessibility checks (axe) run on every change, at desktop and phone sizes, before anything reaches a live site
- Keyboard use, 400% zoom, Windows contrast themes and target sizes are tested the same way
- The accessibility statement is generated from what the site does and reviewed each year, with a dated record of testing
- Historic PDFs we migrate are listed as what they are, and the statement says so honestly
The Transparency Code
The Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities says what a council with a turnover under £25,000 must publish online, and by when. Larger parish councils publish much the same under the local audit regulations. Either way, the internal auditor checks it, and so do residents.
- Agendas and minutes of every meeting
- All items of expenditure over £100
- End of year accounts and the annual governance and accountability return (AGAR)
- Annual governance statement and the internal audit report
- The list of councillors and their responsibilities
- Public land and building assets
- Notices of meetings and of the public rights to inspect the accounts
How the checklist works
Your admin home lists each item as published, missing or due, with the date it was last updated and a button that takes you to the right page. The annual items (accounts, AGAR, the audit report) come due in time for the deadlines, so a new clerk sees what’s outstanding on day one.
The free website check scores your current site against the same list, so you can see where you stand before you move anything.
Check your council’s websiteData, privacy and security
No resident data
Council sites hold public information only. The contact form emails the clerk and stores nothing. No cookies, no analytics, no tracking.
UK hosting
Sites and documents are hosted in the UK, with daily backups kept for 7 days.
HTTPS everywhere
Every site is HTTPS-only, with standard browser security headers and a published way to report problems.
Registered with the ICO
GP Sites Limited, the company behind ParishPages, is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Where does your council’s website stand today?
Free scorecard against WCAG 2.2 AA and the Transparency Code, with the quickest fixes. Whoever your supplier is.
Want to see what a site that passes looks like, with your content?
A free, private preview of your council on ParishPages, in three working days.