{
  "market": "St Albans and Harpenden",
  "updated": "2026-06-16",
  "status": "internal_prep_only",
  "purpose": "Approval-gated reader feedback and source-tip loop for improving coverage, missing-place detection and sponsor-safe proof without publishing submissions automatically.",
  "boundary": "Do not publish reader submissions, collect sensitive personal data, scrape group comments, send subscriber email, contact sources or expose private email addresses without explicit approval and manual review.",
  "counts": {
    "intakeRoutes": 5,
    "triageStages": 4,
    "qualitySignals": 5,
    "blockedUses": 5
  },
  "intakeRoutes": [
    {
      "name": "Missing place or neighbourhood",
      "priority": "core",
      "triageRule": "Map the place to an existing coverage page first; create a new source-check task only when no official route exists.",
      "proofRequired": [
        "Named place in the coverage area",
        "At least one official, venue or organiser source route",
        "Reason the update helps residents before the next morning edition"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Roadworks, rail and bus disruption",
      "priority": "core",
      "triageRule": "Verify against Hertfordshire highways, Intalink, National Rail or a public authority page before using.",
      "proofRequired": [
        "Public URL or official reference",
        "Affected route, road, station or service",
        "Start date, end date or next review point"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Events and useful local listings",
      "priority": "high",
      "triageRule": "Prefer dated public listings with organiser pages; avoid private Facebook-only evidence unless an official page confirms it.",
      "proofRequired": [
        "Public listing URL",
        "Date, time, location and organiser",
        "Resident usefulness beyond generic promotion"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Planning, licensing and council decisions",
      "priority": "high",
      "triageRule": "Use St Albans council, ModernGov, planning portal, public notices or official parish minutes before writing.",
      "proofRequired": [
        "Application, agenda, notice or consultation link",
        "Decision date, comment deadline or meeting date",
        "Affected ward, street, village or venue"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Corrections and clarification",
      "priority": "core",
      "triageRule": "Log the correction, verify against source material, update future copy and keep the correction trail private until publication is approved.",
      "proofRequired": [
        "Edition date or page URL",
        "Specific sentence or claim to review",
        "Public source or firsthand context for manual checking"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "triageStages": [
    {
      "stage": "Received",
      "owner": "Operator",
      "exitCriteria": [
        "Submission has a public URL, named place or edition reference",
        "No private phone numbers, private addresses, health details or child data are copied into public artifacts"
      ]
    },
    {
      "stage": "Verified",
      "owner": "Operator",
      "exitCriteria": [
        "At least one public source confirms the useful fact",
        "Any allegation, complaint or safety issue is reduced to verified public-record language"
      ]
    },
    {
      "stage": "Routed",
      "owner": "Operator",
      "exitCriteria": [
        "Tip is assigned to source desk, coverage page, correction log, events list or sponsor-fit notes",
        "No reader identity is exposed unless explicit consent exists and publication is approved"
      ]
    },
    {
      "stage": "Approved for use",
      "owner": "editorial approval when public-facing",
      "exitCriteria": [
        "Public copy is source-linked and privacy-safe",
        "Any live subscriber email, public post or correction publication has fresh approval"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "qualitySignals": [
    "Number of missing-place tips that led to a new source route",
    "Number of correction tips resolved before the next edition",
    "Number of event tips verified from public organiser pages",
    "Number of transport tips confirmed against official disruption pages",
    "Coverage gaps repeated by multiple readers without exposing their identities"
  ],
  "blockedUses": [
    "Do not publish raw submissions or reader names from this static site",
    "Do not treat one reader tip as a verified claim without source checks",
    "Do not turn sponsor leads into outreach without the sponsor approval workflow",
    "Do not scrape Facebook, WhatsApp or private community threads for tips",
    "Do not collect sensitive personal data through a static feedback page"
  ]
}