DUDLEY Council’s website has been rated as one of the best sites for surfing in the country in a report from the SOCITM.

The Society of Information Management (SOCITM) has been reviewing council websites for the last decade.

In its latest report, it highlights Dudley’s site as fourth with an overall user satisfaction rating of 60%.

The council runs a ‘content managed’ website which allows staff from across the council to update pages on the site.

Around 250 staff from across the authority are able to make contributions and are supported by the council’s internet strategy team who manage the site.

The internet team is made up of Rob Swainston, strategy development manager, Andy Szuszman, corporate web manager, and two web developers, Stuart Orford and Bal Kaur.

In any given month more than 80,000 people visit www.dudley.gov.uk, making more than 750,000 page hits.

In the same time around £200,000 worth of payments go through on the site and more than 1,000 online job applications are made.

Councillor Anne Millward, cabinet member for finance, said: “Thousands of residents and service users across the borough use our website to contact the council. The internet team deserves to be praised for this excellent rating and will continue to work hard to improve the site further.

“We are always looking at ways of making more council services available 24 hours a day in a cost effective, user friendly way.”

www.dudley.gov.uk offers information on all council services from what’s on at council leisure attractions to details on all planning applications and from school admissions to council tax payments.