Herefordshire Council's website crystal clear

Just weeks after Herefordshire Council's website made the Christmas number one slot for the best Council website in the UK, the authority has announced that its site earned the Plain English Campaign's coveted Crystal Mark.

It means people are guaranteed crystal clear information when they log on to the authority's website, http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/.

Head of Information, Technology and Customer Services for Herefordshire Council, Julie Holmes, said that she was delighted with the recognition the website has received.

"The website is leading the way in providing clear information on our services and I'm very pleased that it has received public recognition for the quality of service that it delivers."

"The site is growing all the time. Visitors to the site can already find out about local government services, including transport, leisure and planning."

"People looking for a career with the Council can apply online and those wanting to find out about council democracy or facilities are also well served by the site." she added.

Before the Plain English Campaign awards its Internet Crystal Mark, it has to satisfy itself that the information on the website is as clear as possible for its intended audience. This clarity, together with the general usability of the website, its design and layout are also considered.

Comments from the Plain English Campaign included:

• On the whole, your site is well written and shows an obvious commitment to plain English.
• All pages on your site have a consistent design and layout, and you use a consistent and clear colour scheme.
• Although you provide a comprehensive range of information on the site, you have laid out every page in such a way that it isn't cluttered.
• The images you use enhance the site as they show relevant content but you don't use so many that they distract the user.

Plain English Campaign is an independent pressure group with more than 8,000 supporters in 80 countries. Its aim is for public information to be written in plain English.

The Campaign defines plain English as something that the intended audience can read, understand and act upon the first time they read it. Plain English takes into account design and layout as well as language.

Holders of the Internet Crystal Mark include many major institutions, companies and organisations. Herefordshire Council is one of only 29 local authority sites to have this accreditation.

For more information about Plain English Campaign visit it's website at http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/.