Are you ready for Assertion 10 Compliance & Website Accessibility changes for 2026?

From the 2025/26 financial year, parish and town councils are required to meet new digital governance standards under AGAR Assertion 10. These changes place greater emphasis on how councils manage their websites, domains, email systems and digital accessibility.

As your website and domain provider, we are offering a structured update to ensure your council remains compliant, accessible and audit-ready.

Why Is This Important?

Assertion 10 requires councils to be able to demonstrate that they:

• Properly manage their digital systems and data

• Use council-owned domains and official email addresses

• Operate an accessible website that meets current legal standards

• Can evidence compliance during audit

This is not a “tick-box” exercise. Councils are expected to show that their website and digital services actively meet the requirements, not just that they intend to.

Failure to comply may result in:

• Audit queries or challenges

• Increased risk of accessibility complaints

• Reputational damage

• Reduced public trust in council services

Website Accessibility – WCAG 2.2

All council websites must comply with the Public Sector Bodies (Accessibility) Regulations. These standards have now moved on from WCAG 2.1 to WCAG 2.2 (AA level).

This means websites must be:

• Usable by people with disabilities

• Accessible via keyboard and assistive technologies

• Clear, readable and consistent across devices

• Supported by a valid and up-to-date accessibility statement

Even websites that previously passed accessibility checks may now require updates to remain compliant.

Domain & Email Compliance

Assertion 10 also places greater emphasis on digital identity and governance.

Councils should:

• Use a domain that the council fully controls

• Ensure councillor and officer email addresses use the council domain

• Avoid conducting official council business via personal or free email services

For councils wishing to strengthen their digital identity, we also offer .gov.uk domain migration, which is strongly recommended for parish and town councils.

What Does Our Compliance Update Include?

Our compliance update focuses on ensuring your existing website meets current requirements, without unnecessary changes or disruption.

Typical work includes:

• Website accessibility review against WCAG 2.2

• Required fixes and improvements

• Review and update of accessibility statement

• Checks to ensure domain and email usage aligns with guidance

• Final verification and testing

How Much Does It Cost?

Every website is slightly different, but most updates fall within a predictable range.

• Estimated time: 1 to 3 hours

• Hourly rate: £45 per hour

• Typical cost: £45 – £135

We will always work efficiently and only carry out what is required to bring the site up to standard.

Optional: .gov.uk Domain Migration

For councils not yet using a .gov.uk domain, we offer a fully managed migration service.

• .gov.uk domain: £80 per year

• One-off migration cost: £95

This includes:

• Domain application and setup

• Website and email migration

• DNS configuration

• Minimal downtime and continuity of service

Why Work With Us?

• We specialise exclusively in parish and town council websites

• We already manage your hosting, domain and email systems

• We understand AGAR, audit expectations and council governance

• We provide clear, fixed pricing and plain-English guidance

• We keep changes proportionate and practical

Next Steps

If you would like us to carry out your Assertion 10 compliance and accessibility update, please contact us to confirm.

We recommend completing this work before the next AGAR period to ensure your council can confidently sign off Assertion 10.

📧 support@parishwebandhost.co.uk
📞 07399417567