Alt text: dummy images, not a representation of final version, to show how our new and updated website will look once it goes live, with a modern design based on a better user journey and our brand.
LGD is an open-source content management platform based on, and using elements and functionality from, Drupal – a powerful, flexible and secure system, used for over half a million websites worldwide.
The local gov version of Drupal caters specifically to local authorities, knowing that councils come across exactly the same issues and often have the same priorities. They also know councils have to manage tight budgets, so the ability to build on an open-source platform is a huge opportunity.
Services that are common across all councils, like bin collections, council tax or elections, are reviewed and redesigned by a community of developers, content designers and digital leaders from over 60 (and counting) local councils.
The resulting modules, or upgrades to functionality, deliver high-quality services for our collective residents.
LGD’s content formats and patterns are based on the Government Digital Service standards, meaning everything they’ve created is:
- simple to use
- based on user research
- accessible and user friendly
- tried and tested by the public sector
When and why was LGD developed?
LGD was developed to create a shared pool of code, resources, research and expertise, taking a lot of the work and additional costs out of the equation for councils that use the platform.
LGD timeline
2018: the year that LGD was created by Brighton and Hove City Council
- Project starts with the concept of councils sharing code for mutually shared tasks.
- Project organically develops into a ‘best practice, open-source website publishing platform that’s freely available to all UK councils’.
- Key opportunity is the collaboration between councils, where skills, code, resources, expertise and knowledge are pooled to improve common tasks and solutions.
2021: wider team of partners begin work on LGD beta phase
LGD grows into a connected community of developers, content designers and digital leaders from councils across the UK and Ireland.
2025: the year Luton (finally!) joins the collaborative LGD collective!
Public preview is launched for Council Tax and benefits sections.
Spring 2026: new site to be launched
The luton.gov.uk website will have:
- a new, modern design, focused on the user journey and our brand
- improved functionality
- accessible content
- updated information architecture (IA) – how people will navigate the site
- ‘search first’ approach to finding information for a more enhanced resident experience
- feedback form to gather resident feedback
Watch this space: the first preview and feedback phase of our brand new website will be live next week – Wednesday 10 December! Make sure to let us know what you think 🎉