Stubton Parish Council

EDIT: 15 Sep 2025. We heard at the Council meeting on 15 Sep 2025, that .GOV.UK email addresses will be adopted by the Parish Council, which is fantastic news, for the reasons given below.

We all know that members of the Stubton Parish Council use Gmail e-mail accounts, however these are neither secure or even recommended by the authorities.

My recommendation would be to register the domain @stubton-pc.gov.uk. This will ensure that if a councillor leaves that all email information is stored for reference and current councillors should demonstrate a commitment to transparency.

A simple Google check reveals that: parish councils should not generally use personal Gmail accounts for official business. It’s recommended that they use a .gov.uk domain for both websites and email addresses to maintain professionalism, security, and compliance with regulations like GDPR.

Reasons why using Gmail (or other personal email accounts) is not recommended:

Professionalism and Transparency: A .gov.uk domain enhances the council’s credibility and demonstrates a commitment to transparency.
Security: Council-owned email addresses can be managed securely, with control over access and data. Personal email accounts may be vulnerable to security breaches and loss of access if an individual leaves the council.
GDPR Compliance: GDPR requires councils to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of personal data. Using personal email accounts for council business can make it difficult to manage and protect this data.
Access and Control: When a person leaves the council, their personal email account may contain important council information, making it difficult to access or delete.
Cost: While there may be an initial cost to setting up a .gov.uk domain and email accounts, it’s a worthwhile investment for the long-term benefits.

Alternative:

.gov.uk domain: This is the recommended approach for parish councils. It allows for email addresses like clerk@parishname.gov.uk and provides a professional and secure platform for official communications.

In conclusion: While Gmail is a free and convenient email service, it’s not suitable for official parish council business due to security, compliance, and access control concerns. Moving to a .gov.uk domain is the best practice for parish councils.

Useful link: Moving your council to a .GOV.UK email. (it is a very easy process as I have set up a website and email addresses in the past.