PWA & Mobile
A consultation platform that works like a native app — without ever visiting an app store. ConsultOnline is a progressive web app that residents can install on their phone, use offline, and receive push notifications from, all through the browser. Purpose-built as a PWA from the ground up — not a desktop website squeezed onto a phone. Residents can install it to their home screen, complete surveys offline, and receive push notifications, all without visiting an app store.
Works Offline
Residents can browse consultation details and complete surveys even without an internet connection. A service worker caches the consultation content and survey form on the device. Responses are saved locally and automatically synchronised when connectivity is restored — so no work is ever lost, even in areas with poor mobile signal.
Push Notifications
Keep residents informed with real-time push notifications delivered directly to their device. Notify them when a new consultation opens in their area, when deadlines are approaching, or when outcomes are published. Unlike email which often goes unread, push notifications appear on the lock screen and achieve significantly higher open rates.
Add to Home Screen
One tap and the consultation appears as an app icon on the resident’s home screen, complete with your organisation’s branding. It launches in full-screen mode without browser chrome, feels indistinguishable from a native app, and loads in under two seconds. No app store account, no download queue, no storage warnings.
The Case for PWA
Why a progressive web app changes public consultation
Over 85% of UK adults now access the internet primarily through their phone, according to Ofcom. Yet most consultation platforms are still built as traditional desktop websites that happen to be responsive. The experience on mobile is functional but uninspiring — slow to load, difficult to navigate, and entirely dependent on a stable internet connection. For residents in rural areas, on congested public transport, or simply walking past a development site, these limitations translate directly into lost responses.
A progressive web app fundamentally changes this equation. By installing a service worker on the resident’s device, ConsultOnline caches consultation content, survey forms, and map data locally. The platform loads instantly on repeat visits because the assets are already on the device. Surveys can be completed entirely offline — on the bus, in a rural field with no signal, or during a broadband outage — and responses synchronise automatically when connectivity returns. This is not a degraded experience; it is the full consultation, available everywhere.
Most consultation platforms are browser-only tools that require the resident to remember a URL, navigate back to a website, and hope their connection holds while they complete a survey. ConsultOnline takes a fundamentally different approach. It sits on the home screen, sends proactive reminders, and works regardless of network conditions. For planning teams trying to maximise response rates and demonstrate inclusive engagement, this is a meaningful differentiator.
How It Works
From first visit to installed app in seconds
Visit the Consultation
A resident opens the consultation link — from a QR code on a site notice, a direct mail postcard, a social media post, or a shared link. The service worker immediately begins caching the consultation content, survey forms, and map tiles in the background, preparing the app for offline use without the resident doing anything.
Install with One Tap
The browser prompts the resident to add the consultation to their home screen. One tap and it appears as a branded app icon alongside their other apps. No app store account required, no terms to accept, no storage-hungry download. The installed PWA launches in full-screen mode and feels indistinguishable from a native application.
Engage Anywhere
The resident can now browse proposals, explore interactive maps, and complete surveys whether they are online or offline. Push notifications remind them of deadlines and new consultations. When they submit a response offline, it is queued locally and synchronised automatically the next time their device connects — no data is ever lost.
Use Cases
Mobile-first consultation for every scenario
A progressive web app is not just a technical feature — it changes how and where residents can engage with planning decisions. These are the scenarios where PWA capability makes the biggest difference.
Rural Consultations
Mobile signal and broadband coverage remain patchy across rural UK. With offline support, residents in areas with poor connectivity can read consultation materials and complete surveys at home, then sync their responses when they next have signal. No submission is ever lost to a dropped connection.
On-Site Engagement
Residents walking past a development site can scan a QR code on the site notice and immediately engage with the consultation on their phone. Touch-optimised maps let them pinch, zoom, and tap to explore proposals. The full consultation is available right there on the pavement, not just back at a desktop.
Commuter Participation
Many residents only have time to engage with consultations during their commute. Underground, on trains with patchy WiFi, or on buses through signal dead zones — offline mode means they can complete a survey on the journey and it syncs when they arrive. Push notifications catch them at the right moment.
Public Exhibitions
At busy exhibition events, venue WiFi often struggles under load. With the PWA pre-cached on attendees’ devices, they can browse proposals, explore plans on interactive maps, and submit feedback without relying on the venue’s network. Staff can hand out a QR code and know it will work regardless.
Community Outreach Teams
Engagement officers visiting community centres, schools, or door-to-door can use the PWA on a tablet to collect responses on the spot. Offline mode means it works in any building, any basement, any location. Responses sync when the officer returns to connectivity, with all data captured accurately and timestamped.
Deadline Reminders
Push notifications delivered directly to the lock screen are far more effective than email reminders. Send residents a timely nudge as the consultation deadline approaches, with a single tap taking them straight into the survey. Notification timing and frequency are controlled by the consultation team to avoid fatigue.
The only UK consultation platform built as a PWA
No other consultation tool offers offline surveys, push notifications, or add-to-home-screen installation. ConsultOnline gives residents a native app experience without any of the friction.
Capabilities
Everything you need for mobile-first consultation
From offline caching and push notifications to touch-optimised maps and low-bandwidth performance, every aspect of ConsultOnline is built for mobile.
Under the Hood
Technical capabilities that set ConsultOnline apart
Built with modern web platform APIs, ConsultOnline delivers a native-quality experience through the browser. Here is what powers it — and what is on the roadmap.
Service Worker Caching
A service worker pre-caches consultation content, survey forms, images, and map tiles on the resident’s device. Subsequent visits load instantly from the local cache, with background updates fetching any changes. The platform uses a stale-while-revalidate strategy so content is always fast and always fresh.
Background Sync
Survey responses submitted offline are stored in IndexedDB on the device and queued for synchronisation. When connectivity is restored, the service worker automatically submits queued responses in the background — even if the app is not open. Retry logic handles intermittent connections gracefully, with the resident notified once their response is confirmed.
Touch-Optimised Maps
Interactive maps are built for touch from the ground up. Pinch to zoom, swipe to pan, and tap to place pins or select areas. Map tiles are cached for offline browsing. Touch targets are sized for thumbs, not mouse pointers, and gesture handling avoids conflicts with page scrolling — a detail most consultation platforms get wrong on mobile.
Low-Bandwidth Performance
ConsultOnline is optimised for constrained networks. Images are served in modern formats at appropriate resolutions. Critical content loads first, with non-essential assets deferred. The platform detects connection quality and adjusts — serving lighter map tiles on slow connections and deferring image loading until the user scrolls to them.
Future: Shared App Store Listing
On the roadmap: a shared ConsultOnline app published to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Residents download one app and access any consultation from any organisation using the platform. Push notification permissions, location services, and device APIs work natively. The PWA remains the primary experience, with the store listing as an additional discovery channel.
Future: Branded Native Apps
For Bespoke organisations: a fully branded native app published under your own name on the App Store and Play Store. Your logo, your colours, your app listing. Residents see it as your organisation’s consultation app, not a third-party tool. Ideal for councils and developers running ongoing consultation programmes who want a persistent presence on residents’ devices.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Ready to go mobile-first?
Give residents a consultation experience that works everywhere — on any device, on any connection, even offline. ConsultOnline is purpose-built as a progressive web app from the ground up.
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