This page describes how the website works and what visitors can expect.
Our approach
We aim to make this website usable for people with a wide range of abilities, devices and ways of navigating. Clear writing, readable contrast and a straightforward information hierarchy help homeowners research complex addition decisions. Accessibility is an ongoing part of maintaining the site, and we welcome reports of obstacles that make information or an enquiry difficult to access.
Keyboard navigation
The main navigation, submenu controls, gallery filters, links, buttons and standard form fields are intended to work with a keyboard. A visible focus indicator helps identify the current control. The skip link at the beginning of each page can move focus past the navigation to the main content. If any control cannot be reached or used, tell us which page and device were involved.
Navigation and structure
Pages use headings to show the relationship between major topics and details. Service and planning pages link to related material so readers can move from a broad question to a more specific one. Mobile navigation provides controls for opening the menu and its submenus. We try to keep labels descriptive, but an unclear link or confusing sequence should be reported.
Readability and contrast
Text is set in a readable type size with line spacing and generous contrast against light or dark backgrounds. Layouts reflow on smaller screens to reduce the need for horizontal scrolling. Browser zoom and operating-system text settings may be useful. If a passage, button or field becomes unreadable at a particular zoom level, please let us know.
Images and motion
Meaningful photographs have alternative text describing their visible subject. Decorative visual treatments are intended to avoid interrupting reading order. Motion is restrained, and reduced-motion preferences are respected where styling involves transitions. Photographs communicate atmosphere and details, while planning information should remain available in text rather than requiring interpretation of an image.
Forms
Project enquiries use WPForms. Fields should have visible labels and required-field information. Validation and upload controls may depend on the current form configuration. If a form cannot be completed with your device, assistive technology or keyboard, you can contact us through the email or phone information provided elsewhere on the site when those channels are configured.
Reporting a barrier
Please use the contact page to describe the barrier, the URL, what you were trying to do and, if comfortable, your browser or assistive technology. You do not need to disclose a disability to report an issue. A description of the control or text that failed is usually enough to begin investigation. We will consider an alternative way to provide the information while the issue is reviewed.
Ongoing work
Content, forms, browsers and accessibility technology change over time. We review issues as they are discovered and aim to improve wording, contrast, focus behaviour and layout where necessary. This statement describes our intent and practices; it is not a certification that every combination of technology and page is error-free.
External content
Links to municipal resources or other external websites lead to content outside our control. Their accessibility features and formats may differ. If an external document is difficult to use, its publisher is best placed to provide an alternate version, and we can still help you locate the relevant topic where possible.
Contact alternatives
If the project form is difficult to use, the contact information shown in the site header or footer may offer another way to reach us. A brief initial message can say that you would like to discuss an addition and identify the format that would help you communicate. You do not need to send plans or personal details merely to report a website barrier. We can discuss what information is useful through an accessible channel.
Testing and feedback
A website can behave differently across screen readers, browsers, devices and form versions. We use semantic page elements and responsive layouts as a foundation, then adjust identified issues. Helpful feedback includes the page address, the name of the control, the step where it failed and whether the problem occurred with a keyboard, touch or assistive technology. We use those details to locate a reproducible issue and improve the experience for future visitors.
We appreciate specific feedback and review it carefully.
We also consider the content of visual material. A photograph may show useful proportions or material relationships, but the surrounding words should carry the essential planning point. Alternative text should identify the visible subject without claiming that an image is a completed local project. If a photograph does not load, headings, links and the explanatory article should still make sense. We aim for this redundancy because access needs vary and because a clear written explanation is helpful to every homeowner researching a complex addition.