Thank you for your enquiry regarding Assertion 10: Digital and Data Compliance.
To support your 2025/26 AGAR review, we have set out below a clear confirmation of compliance in relation to the website, together with a clarification of responsibilities between the website provider (Eyelid Productions) and the hosting, email, and .gov.uk domain provider (Cloud Next).
1. Provider responsibilities
Website provider – Eyelid Productions
Responsible for:
- Website design and build
- Accessibility compliance at the time of delivery
- Technical structure, layout, and configuration of the website
- Ongoing website updates or support when commissioned
Hosting, email, backup and .gov.uk domain – Cloud Next
Cloud Next is responsible for:
- Website hosting infrastructure and server security
- Website backups, uptime, and platform maintenance
- Registration and renewal of the .gov.uk domain
- Provision and management of council .gov.uk email services
- Email security, storage, and backup arrangements
Further details of Cloud Next’s council hosting services are available here:
https://www.cloudnext.uk/council-hosting/
Because Assertion 10 spans domains, hosting, email, backups, and the website itself, councils typically require confirmation from both providers to evidence full compliance.
2. Accessibility compliance (website)
The website originally supplied by Eyelid Productions was built and tested to meet:
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA (current recognised standard), and
- Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018
Where a site was originally tested to WCAG 2.1 AA, this is not rendered non-compliant by the later introduction of WCAG 2.2.
The differences between 2.1 and 2.2 are relatively minor, and public sector bodies are expected to take a reasonable and proportionate approach to ongoing compliance where:
- The site met the correct standard at launch, and
- Content is maintained appropriately.
At handover:
- The site was tested using Lighthouse (Google Chrome’s accessibility testing tool)
- The website was compliant at the time of delivery
- An Accessibility Statement was provided and is published in the website footer in HTML format
Accessibility is an ongoing responsibility of the council. Subsequent content or document uploads may affect compliance.
Recommended proportionate ongoing actions
- Periodic automated checks using Lighthouse or similar tools
- Keeping the accessibility statement up to date
- Ensuring newly uploaded documents are accessible where possible
Guidance for routine Lighthouse testing is available here:
https://eyelidproductions.co.uk/lighthouse-for-accessibility-testing/
Automated testing is useful for routine monitoring but is not a substitute for full manual accessibility audits, which are typically resource-intensive and not generally expected within the limited capacity of most parish councils.
Periodic automated checks combined with good content management represent a reasonable and proportionate approach.
Eyelid Productions does not provide full formal accessibility audits or training but can assist with specific issues or minor remediation if required.
Formal accessibility training is commonly available via the SLCC, Suffolk University, or local Association of Local Councils (ALC).
3. Website data protection (technical scope)
From a technical website perspective:
- Secure HTTPS encryption is used for all data transmission (provided via Cloud Next hosting)
- Form submissions are transmitted securely and stored within controlled hosting environments
- Hosting infrastructure is maintained with appropriate security updates and protections
- The website itself does not intentionally collect unnecessary personal data
These measures support compliance with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 in relation to the website platform.
Responsibility for wider organisational data-protection compliance—including lawful basis, retention, subject access handling, privacy notices, email governance, and backup policies—remains with the council as data controller, supported operationally by Cloud Next for hosting and email services.
4. Suggested minute wording (optional)
Eyelid Productions confirmed that the Parish Council website was originally built and tested to meet WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA and the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018, and that an accessibility statement is published in the website footer. Automated tools such as Lighthouse may be used for routine checks, although these are not a substitute for full manual testing. Ongoing accessibility compliance remains the responsibility of the Council. Hosting, backups, email services, and the .gov.uk domain are provided separately by Cloud Next.
We hope this provides the clarification required for your Assertion 10 review and 2025/26 audit records.
Please let us know if any further confirmation or coordination with Cloud Next would be helpful.