Whatever the structure of your Town or Parish Council, you are able to define independent and dedicated web pages for each committee, each with its own Agendas, Meetings and Minutes.
Parish Council Committees
For a Parish Council, there is typically only one committee, the Parish Council. However, that is not always the case. You may have a dedicated Planning Committee or a Housing Committee.
Town Council Committees
For Town Councils, in our experience, we often see several committees such as the following menu structure which illustrates each committee with their respective Agendas, Meetings and Minutes.
The Importance of Publicly Available Committee Information
Councils in the UK are legally required to make committee information publicly accessible, ensuring transparency, accountability, and community engagement in local decision-making.
Why is Committee Information Important?
Publishing committee details, meeting agendas, minutes, and reports allows residents, businesses, and stakeholders to:
- Stay Informed - Understand how decisions affecting their local area are made
- Engage in the Democratic Process - Participate in consultations, attend public meetings, or contact their elected representatives
- Hold Councils Accountable - Ensure decisions are made in a fair and transparent manner
Legal and Accessibility Requirements
Under the Local Government Act 1972, councils must provide public access to certain meeting documents. This includes:
- Committee Structures & Membership - Outlining responsibilities and appointed councillors
- Meeting Agendas & Reports - Published in advance to inform the public
- Minutes & Decisions - Ensuring transparency of past meetings and key decisions
Additionally, councils must comply with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018, ensuring all published content is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
Best Practice for Councils
To ensure compliance and effective communication, councils should:
- Regularly update committee pages with the latest information
- Provide documents in accessible formats, such as HTML or tagged PDFs
- Offer clear navigation to committee details from the council’s website homepage
- Use plain English to make content easy to understand for all residents
By making committee information easily available online, councils can foster greater public trust, encourage civic participation, and demonstrate their commitment to open governance.