Help

We have tried to make this site easy for first time Internet users but if you are stuck, this section is designed to help you:

How do I get around this site?

If you want to go to different area of the site, click with your mouse button when your cursor is over a link. Clicking on underlined text takes you to a new page. Whenever your cursor looks like a hand rather than an arrow, it means you can click and go to another page.

To get back to the start page at any time click on the Home button in the left hand navigation menu, or the main 'Oxford City Council' logo image at the top of each page. The start page is known as the home page. Don't worry if you go to the wrong page, just click on Back on the buttons bar of your browser. Within each area of the site, you can always tell where you are by looking at the breadcrumb trail:

home > planning > development control and administration > contact details

All areas of the site are also accessible from the text links at the foot of each page. We've also included a Site Map, which lists all the pages to be found in each of the different areas. This button can also be found in the left hand navigation menu.

What are PDFs and how do I read them?

PDF stands for Portable Document Format. It's an established way of publishing documents on the web while retaining their original printed design look. You need a plug-in called Adobe Acrobat to read these files. This is available to download free of charge at the Adobe Reader website.

Searching the site

You can use the quick search from any page of the site by typing a word and clicking on 'go'. For a more defined search you can use the 'Advanced Search' to look for the information you need in specific areas of the site.

How do I change my screen settings?

This site looks best with a screen resolution (the size of what is shown) of 800 x 600. To change this on a PC running the Windows 95 and upwards later operating systems, go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Display > Settings and change the desktop area by using the sliding bar. On an Apple Macintosh, you can click on the Monitor & Sound icon accessed via the Control Panel underneath the Apple Menu to change the resolution.

How do I get back to this site if I leave it?

The address of our site is http://www.oxford.gov.uk/ If you want to come back to this site at any time, type in the address in the browser address bar and press enter. To save you doing this more than once, add this page to your Favourites (in Internet Explorer click on Favourites > add to favourites > and then name the page something that you will remember like Oxford City Council). If you are using Netscape this works in the same way as Favourites.

What are cookies?

A cookie is a small file which stores information, that a web site puts on your hard disk so that it can remember something about you at a later time. Typically, a cookie records your preferences when using a particular site. Cookies are used within the Publications area of the site, and they record the ordered items in your Publications Basket. You will require cookies to be enabled on your browser to allow you to use this section of our web site. No personal data is stored as part of this process.

How can I view a Word file if I don't have Microsoft Word software?

Microsoft has made a free Word Viewer available to download at http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/ In the Download Centre select Product (Word), Version (2000) and put a tick in the box marked Converters and Viewers. Click on the "Update List" button. When the list appears scroll down to find the Word 97/2000 Viewer (Word 2000) and choose the one that best suits your PC's operating system (either Windows 95/98/NT or 3.x). Then click on the "Download Now" option.

What is Text Only?

You can view the site using 'text only', which is accessed via the top right-hand at the top of every page across the site. This creates a version of the site with large text but without graphics. You can also change the font size, background colour and whether you want to view pictures using the 'Accessibility options', or you can set these to use your own preferred web browser defaults.

The text is too small for me to read - how can I change it?

In Internet Explorer go to View > Text size and select Larger or Largest. You could also try changing the screen resolution.

My browser out of date, how can I get a new one?

This site is designed to be viewed using version 4 and above of Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Netscape's Navigator browsers. The latest versions of Internet Explorer and Netscape these browsers can be downloaded free of charge from their websites:

Microsoft Internet Explorer

Netscape Navigator

You'll also find that lots of the computer magazines for sale in newsagents include CDs with copies of the latest browsers.