Why can't Capita manage the Barnet Council website properly?

Over the weekend I needed to make some applications for Temporary Event notices for a couple of local Charity events I am helping to organise. I have done this dozens of times using the Council website. It costs the local charities £30 a shot (money raised by local fundraisers and lining Capita who run the services pockets). I have no objection to paying private companies to provide services, however one does expect a large corporation such as Capita to at least be able to do the job properly.

It seems that this is beyond Barnet Council and Capita. It is a basic premise of IT that when you  design a change, you test it and make sure it works, before you inflict the change on the general public. It is pretty clear to me that Capita and Barnet Council can't be bothered.

Let me explain what is happening. To get the licence, I go to the Licences menu, which is this page



click the link for alchohol and events notices and hey presto - This is what I get.



Not only is this highly inconvenient, but when you try and ring the council on the number given on their contact page for licensing, there is no option given for licensing queries.


I don't suppose it occurs to the council that people may actually need to use these services, but for those of us trying to raise money for local good causes it is highly inconvenient and has wasted me hours. The new Council website is a nightmare. It is bad enough that it is difficult to navigate, but the fact it doesn't work is a complete disgrace. What exactly are we paying Capita for?