Case study: Luton Council

The challenge

Like many councils, Luton managed a large, complex website. The site contained around 2,000 pages, almost 4,000 documents and more than 6,000 images. Over time, content became harder to manage, navigate, and maintain.

Residents increasingly accessed council services on mobile devices, but journeys were not always designed around how people searched for information and completed tasks. Finding the right service could take longer than expected, especially when navigation reflected council structures rather than resident needs.

The council wanted a website that was quicker to use, easier to understand, and simpler to maintain. It also needed a platform that supported accessibility, encouraged consistent content design and provided a sustainable foundation for future digital services.

Rather than treating the project as a straightforward website replacement, Luton saw an opportunity to improve the experience of accessing council services online.

The goal was to reduce complexity, make common tasks easier to complete and give residents a more consistent experience across the website.

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Why LocalGov Drupal

The council chose LocalGov Drupal after discovery and early testing because:

• The platform is built collaboratively for councils and is openly available.
• Councils share code, patterns, research and improvements instead of repeatedly starting from scratch. This approach reduced the need to build common council features from the beginning. It also limited dependence on one supplier for future improvements.
• LocalGov Drupal matched Luton’s goals for mobile access and consistent service pages.
• It also supported clear navigation, accessible content and transaction-focused journeys.

The solution

Luton treated the move as a service transformation, not a technology replacement. Residents, staff and frontline services informed the new design and content.

Contracted Senior Content Designers used website data to review, prioritise and reshape existing content. They moved high-use services first during a public beta. This created a useful milestone and allowed learning before the full launch.

Annertech was chosen as our LocalGov Drupal partner to deliver key milestones. These tasks include reporting problems, making payments and applying for support. Annertech provided development, hosting and urgent security support. The council retained responsibility for priorities, content quality and assurance. 

Results and outcomes

• The new website gives residents clearer routes to information and online services.
• Popular actions are easier to reach from the homepage and service pages.
• Plain language and predictable layouts make council processes easier to understand.
• The mobile-first design better reflects how many residents access the website.
• Content editors can use shared patterns instead of designing every page separately. This supports consistency while making future publishing more manageable.
• The open platform provides a stronger base for forms, payments and maps. It also lets Luton Council benefit from improvements created by other councils.
• The council can now improve the service using feedback, evidence and shared learning.
• Consistent layouts now help people recognise what to do next.
• Quick links bring popular tasks closer to the start of each journey.
• Improved search offers clearer results, useful filters and suggested terms.
• The design works across mobile, tablet and desktop devices.
• It also supports Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 requirements.

Luton Borough Council Learnings

• Platform choice matters, but ownership and content determine the resident experience.
• Early leadership support helps services make time for content decisions.
• Start a content audit before migration pressures become urgent.
• Agree business-as-usual roles before the final migration begins.
• Clear ownership keeps accessibility, security and content quality visible after launch.