WEBSITES that help council staff prioritise their workload and give real-time information to the public and volunteer parish path wardens about defects, closures and legal orders have won an award.

Worcestershire County Council picked up the prestigious 2010 Innovation and Best Practice (Public Services) Award at the annual Association for Geographic Information awards.

The award recognised three sites developed by the county council’s countryside service and information and business systems (IBS) applications development team.

Entrants had to demonstrate how the site improved customer services and working practices as well as making better use of, and increasing sharing of, local information.

Jim Collins, applications development manager, said: “This is a great achievement and a wonderful recognition of the team again demonstrating their ability to develop innovative solutions to the specific needs of colleagues.”

The award was open to any public bodies which use geographic information to deliver local public services, including local councils, fire services and police forces.

To access the web map, which covers more than 3,000 miles of public rights of way across the county, log onto worcestershire.gov.uk/countryside, click on public rights of way, then interactive map.