Barnet Council has drawn up a plan to improve its website in response to concerns over technical glitches and the accuracy of its content.

The council will launch a new website before Christmas that will be easier for residents to navigate and contain up-to-date information.

It claims the improved service will lead to nearly £600,000-worth of savings.

Speaking at a meeting of the financial performance and contracts committee on Tuesday (October 9), Barry May, head of customer strategy and programmes, described the launch of the new site as a “major milestone”.

He said: “This will improve drastically things like search, content, usability.

“Residents are being involved in the design and build of this website, and that will be something we can embed moving forward.”

The number of residents visiting the council’s website has risen by a quarter since 2016, as fewer people contact the council by phone.

Yet just under a third of users rated Barnet’s website as good during the three months to June – down from 43 per cent in December 2017.

Customers complained about technical glitches, out-of-date information, the accuracy of bin collection day information and forms timing out.

The new site will be simpler to use, with fewer pages and redesigned forms for inputting information.

People will be able to upload documents rather than posting them and receive automatic updates so they do not need to phone the council.

Mr May said the council recognised that digital was “not for everybody” but added programmes had been set up to help residents get to grips with technology.

Committee chairman and Conservative councillor for Child’s Hill Peter Zinkin said: “There are a number of things that will be extremely helpful to residents, but realistically it is going to take time.

“This report has indicated the direction of travel we are aiming to get to, but with the recognition that it is a direction of travel and is not all going to be 100 per cent there on day one.”