This document outlines the initial structure for a campaign website platform designed to organise information, research, mapping data and updates relating to local planning campaigns.
The platform will be built on WordPress and designed to support multiple campaigns and action groups while keeping the first version simple and easy to manage.
The system will function both as a public website and a mobile-friendly web application, ensuring that campaign information is easy to access on phones, tablets and desktop computers. The interface will be designed to work especially well on smartphones so that residents, volunteers and researchers can quickly access maps, posts, documents and updates while on the move.
The platform will be:
- Publicly accessible on the web so anyone can view campaign information
- Optimised for mobile devices so residents can easily use it on smartphones
- Structured for clarity so information can be quickly understood
- Collaboratively managed by action group members
- Designed for rapid information sharing across the community
The goal is to create a clear and reliable public information hub where evidence, updates and research relating to local development proposals can be organised in one place and easily accessed by residents, volunteers, journalists and decision-makers.
The website acts as a central information hub for community-led planning campaigns.
The platform allows:
- Campaign information to be published in a structured way
- Evidence and research to be stored within posts
- Interactive map features to visualise spatial information
- Action groups to collaborate on updates and research
- The public to follow updates and stay informed
WordPress will be used as the core system with the following principles:
- Campaigns are a Custom Post Type
- Posts are used as the campaign feed and evidence system
- Posts can contain documents, images and map data
- Campaign pages act as the central public hub for each campaign
Example campaign URL:
/wing-new-town/
The platform contains a small set of global pages.
/
Home
/map/
Interactive map showing spatial data across campaigns
/sign-up/
Email signup for updates
/contact/
General contact form with campaign selection
Each campaign exists directly at the root level.
Example campaign URLs:
/wing-new-town/
/another-campaign/
This is achieved by using a Campaign Custom Post Type with URL rewriting so the campaign slug sits at the root of the site.
Each campaign acts as its own mini information hub.
Example campaign page:
/wing-new-town/
This page is the central landing page for the campaign and contains all key information.
- Campaign title
- Short description
- Campaign status indicator (RAG status)
- Location summary
Example:
Wing New Town Proposal
Proposed settlement expansion north-west of Wing.
Status: RED – Active objection campaign
Short summary explaining:
- what the proposal is
- where the site is located
- why the campaign exists
- what the current situation is
Feed of latest WordPress posts related to the campaign.
These posts contain:
- research findings
- meeting summaries
- evidence
- consultation updates
- campaign announcements
Displayed in chronological order.
Embedded campaign map displaying spatial information collected within posts.
Map features can include:
- site boundaries
- markers for key locations
- lines showing roads or routes
- polygons showing affected areas
Map items link directly to posts containing further information.
High-level summary of major issues relating to the campaign.
Example categories:
- Planning policy conflicts
- Traffic and transport
- Schools and education
- Healthcare capacity
- Heritage and archaeology
- Ecology and wildlife
- Flooding and drainage
- Infrastructure capacity
Each issue links to posts discussing the topic.
Chronological summary of key campaign moments.
Examples:
- Consultation opened
- Public meeting held
- Evidence report published
- Council planning decision scheduled
Call-to-action allowing users to join the mailing list.
Fields:
- Name
- Optional postcode
Standard WordPress posts are used for the campaign feed.
Posts represent individual pieces of information such as:
- research findings
- meeting notes
- evidence summaries
- campaign updates
- consultation notices
- media coverage
Example post URL structures:
Option A (simple)
/post-title/
Option B (recommended for future scaling)
/wing-new-town/post-title/
Option B is recommended to prevent slug conflicts if multiple campaigns exist.
Each post should follow a consistent structure to keep information clear.
- Title
- Intro summary
- Main content body
- Linked campaign
- Category
- Tags
- Featured image
Posts may also include:
- image galleries
- downloadable documents
- embedded maps
- supporting references
To improve clarity, posts may include structured sections such as:
Summary
Why this matters
Evidence
Next steps
Posts will be organised using categories representing issue areas.
Suggested categories:
- Planning Policy
- Traffic and Transport
- Schools and Education
- Healthcare and GP Capacity
- Heritage and Archaeology
- Landscape and Visual Impact
- Ecology and Wildlife
- Flooding and Drainage
- Infrastructure and Utilities
- Housing Numbers and Density
- Consultation Process
- Community Updates
- Meeting Notes
- Media Coverage
- Campaign Activity
Tags allow more granular categorisation.
Examples:
- GP surgery
- Cublington Road
- Stewkley Road
- Burcott
- Public footpaths
- School places
- Sewage infrastructure
- Traffic counts
- Listed buildings
- Consultation deadline
Posts can include spatial data that appears on the campaign map.
Map data will be stored using structured fields (e.g. ACF).
Supported map elements:
- Single marker
- Multiple markers
- Polyline
- Polygon
- Map notes
- Location name
- Layer type
Example use cases:
- Marking a heritage site
- Highlighting a flood-risk zone
- Showing traffic congestion points
- Mapping proposed development areas
Map logic:
Post contains map data
→ Map data appears on campaign map
→ Clicking map feature opens the post
/map/
This page provides a wider view of all map data.
Possible features:
- explore map visually
- filter by campaign
- filter by issue type
Clicking a map element opens the related post.
/sign-up/
Allows users to subscribe for campaign updates.
Suggested fields:
- Name
- Optional postcode
- Campaign selection
Users will receive notifications when new posts are published.
/contact/
General contact form allowing the public to submit information.
Fields:
- Name
- Campaign selection
- Message
- Optional file upload
Use cases:
- submitting evidence
- asking questions
- offering help
The platform will support collaborative editing.
Standard WordPress roles:
- Administrator
- Editor
- Contributor
- Subscriber
Additional roles may include:
- Action Group Manager
- Campaign Editor
- Research Contributor
Users are associated with an Action Group.
Each Action Group is linked to one or more campaigns.
Permissions:
- Users can only edit posts for their campaign
- Editors manage campaign content
- Contributors can submit posts
- Subscribers receive updates
- Public users can view published content
/
/map/
/sign-up/
/contact/
/wing-new-town/
/another-campaign/
Option A
/post-name/
Option B
/wing-new-town/post-name/
The platform consists of:
- A small set of global pages
- Root-level campaign pages
- WordPress posts acting as the campaign feed
- Map-enabled posts providing spatial context
- Collaborative editing by action groups
- Email updates for supporters
Each campaign page becomes a clear public hub combining:
- updates
- evidence
- mapping
- key issues
- timeline information
This structure keeps the first version simple while allowing the platform to expand to support additional campaigns and villages in the future.