Objectives of
the Pilot Website
-
trial different formats
and ways of presenting information, maps and graphics
-
establish ease or difficulties
involved required to reformat articles, reports and presentations
for web use
-
test whether ‘interactive
features’ work in practice
-
test reactions and feedback.
(is it too complicated, illogical etc ?)
The Potential
of a Local Plan Website
Can access to
different parts of the community : teenagers, schools, community
groups and a much wider regional and national audience of developers, agents,
investors and environmental groups.
a website offers facility
to respond instantly, can be used to inform people of events as they
happen
Parts if a consultation
document can be updated easily without re-issuing a whole new leaflet
- visitors can
post questions, receive answers, complete questionaires, opinion polls
Interactive
features the site could include might be a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
page and form to allow registration on mailing list for further information
(on plan publication and exhibition dates etc.)
no leaflets or hand-outs
to throw in the bin, responses can be sent by by e-mail,
can reduce standard
enquiries from commercial organisations who want to know about local plan
progress.
An Approach
?
Has too much time
has been spent on enhancing websites with flashy gimmicks, layout and design
issues at the expense of their potential to structure information
In a local plans context, consultation documents need to address
a wide range of different audiences with varying degrees of understanding
of how the planning process works and affects them. Many ‘information sites’
provide only a little factual information or a mix of simple
and long complex documents put straight on the web.
A website can
help by.....
-
offering different menus
to guide different user groups.
-
helping to explain the
planning process to those unfamiliar with it, yet allowing commercial
organisations to access the information they want directly.
-
allowing users to access
progressively more detailed information to make informed representations
and objections
-
providing related links
to government legislation, environmental groups
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