Online home

New Forest District Council has its finger on the button when it comes to keeping pace with the latest trends in website design.

A major revamp of the authority’s online site - newforest.gov.uk -has just been launched, bringing it up-to-date with video footage, more customer interaction, more user-friendly and jam-packed with information about council services.

Moving pictures, whether it is sports people in action at one of the council leisure venues or a video illustrating the authority’s recycling process, will make the website more colourful and interesting for online visitors.

“By using videos to promote various services, our customers will gain a valuable insight into the processes involved,” explained Ken Connolly, NFDC’s Head of Information and Communication Technology.

 “The New Forest District Council is entering a new era in website design. It’s two years since the last update and we have a new image, we’re more streamlined and very interactive with our customers.”

The Connecting With You site, for example, is a great innovation. Aimed at encouraging interaction with website users, it will ask for feedback on a range of topics and services, be used to gather information through surveys and improve the communication between the council and customers in a unique way.

Local news and events will also be kept up to the minute with regular updates and used to provide the latest information.

Council customers will also be encouraged to complete financial transactions online – whether it’s Council Tax or car parking, personal payments can be completed at the click of a button.  

“When transactions are driven by our customers, it speeds up processes and becomes more cost-effective,” said Ken.

“By paying for services through their home computer, visitors can budget better and it’s cheaper than a phone call. It will bring the council closer to people as a more personal service.”

People will also be encouraged to interact with the website to fill out forms, report such things as fly-tipping and make online planning applications.

“We are constantly reviewing out website content to ensure that as much information as possible is available to the public 24/7,” said Ken, who has been working on the website relaunch with Web Content Manager Monique Conley, Corporate Design Manager Kevin Holmes and ICT team Tina Seabrook and Andy Mather.

The new-look website will also feature links to tourism, youth, council partners, community safety and Hants Jobs Patrol.