Parish Council Domains Helper Service

From March 2025, the Practitioners’ Guide states ‘it is best practice to use .gov.uk domains for smaller authorities’ emails and websites’.

There is step by step guidance on moving your parish council to a .gov.uk domain. These steps take you through the whole process from getting council approval to choosing your registrar and what to do when you’re set up.

If you would like more help from the Parish Council Domains Helper Service you can
register for a virtual session to learn about moving to a .gov.uk domain.

Practitioners’ Guide 2025

Updates to the ‘Digital and Data compliance’ section includes telling councils what best practice actions they should follow for websites and email. This makes sure council information is handled appropriately, in line with GDPR principles.

One of the most important changes is:

  • councils must have a role-based email account hosted on an authority owned domain, for example, [email protected]

We recommend using a .gov.uk domain, email and website to maintain a consistent and professional image. Using these will make sure all communications are identifiable as coming from the parish or town council.

Please communicate these important changes to anyone it affects. If you have any questions, email [email protected].

A new initiative from SLCC – for councils in England & Wales

Any .gov.uk Approved Registrar can choose to participate in the Parish Council Helper Service by registering with GDS. In practice, around 25 .gov.uk Approved Registrars are actively providing the enhanced technical support. The current list of all Parish Council Helper Service Registrars is available in the guidance on the gov.uk website.

Understanding that budget is a primary concern for parish, town and community councils, SLCC has made an arrangement with the following registrars who are offering a £100 discount:

The discount is likely to be in place for the next 12 months with a regular review of its success. You can claim the discount if your council migrates over to a .gov.uk, .gov.wales or .llyw.cymru domain for website, emails and supporting services.

To make use of the promotion, simply contact the company of choice directly to discuss your needs.

If you are an Approved Registrar and you’d like to be included in the arrangement above please contact Gemma Rickard, Head of Marketing, Membership & Digital, [email protected]

Follow good practice

SLCC recommends following government guidance on migrating to .gov.uk domains. We also encourage all clerks to compare the prices, support and services offered by these and other Parish Council Domains Helper Service registrars. This will ensure you choose the right supplier for your council’s needs and budget.

You can also ask for recommendations and discuss pricing with other parish councils or on forums such as the SLCC forum.

Below is a map showing councils who have moved to a .gov.uk domain.

Please note:

  • The map is updated on a bi-monthly basis and is not ‘live’ – it’s an indicator of where councils have .gov.uk and other domains across the country
  • The colours represent the different domains of councils. Readers should consult the domain legend to understand which colour represents which domain