WEST Devon Borough has gone live with its new and more user-friendly website.

In the first month of operation the site has received 13,647 hits by residents and visitors, with the new 'Where I live' and improved 'Planning Search' sections proving the most popular.

Drawing on the best examples of other local authority sites the in-house design team set out to make the pages easier to navigate, answer frequently asked questions more quickly and easily, allow payment of council tax online and provide key facts to each householder based on a search using just their postcode.

This  new  feature 'Where I Live', has proved a hit with residents.?It brings together information on council tax, local democracy, waste and recycling and planning for an address in one easy-to-access page which can be bookmarked. From the same page residents can make payments and report requests for many services.

The several thousand pages of the old website  have been reducted to 600 pages of up to date and relevant content on the new site. The council used software supplied by Plymouth-based firm Goss Interactive Ltd.

Although searching for information on planning applications was possible on the old site it is now streamlined and more-user friendly, particularly with the simple postcode check. More services can be accessed or requested online with many more in the pipeline in the coming months.

Darren Cole, head of ICT and customer services, said: 'This is a major leap forwards in providing quality information which is readily available with a minimum number of keystrokes on the new site. The in-house team have done a remarkable assimilation exercise in bringing together all the best examples of efficient websites.

'We are very pleased with the new site as it gives us a platform so we can progress our aim to allow customers the ability to interact online with the council and easily request many of its services at a time that is convenient to them.'