An independent publisher is launching a series of subscriber-only “premium” websites as an alternative to putting stories behind paywalls.

Iliffe Media has announced a number of its websites will move to the model in order to offer additional content to their “most engaged readers”, while standard versions of the sites will also remain in place for non-subscribers.

The premium sites carry no adverts, will host additional exclusive content and will give access to digital editions of every newspaper in the Iliffe portfolio and that of its sister company Highlands News and Media.

Titles moving to the model include Kent Online, the Cambridge Independent and Suffolk News.

Iliffe editorial director Ian Carter told HTFP: “The sites are about giving additional value to subscribers and providing a great browsing experience rather than putting our existing content behind a paywall.

“Our existing sites are successful and profitable in their own right so we are being very careful not to damage the audience we have built up over the years.

“However, there is scope for creating additional content aimed at our most engaged readers which we will be developing over the coming months.”

The premium website subscription also provides access to Iliffe’s iOS and Android app, IM News, and access to digital editions of every newspaper in the group’s portfolio.

Ian added: “We aren’t necessarily expecting a reader in Dover to be interested in the John O’Groat Journal and vice versa, but there are plenty of areas where people will be interested in newspapers in neighbouring areas – particularly our titles in Kent, Suffolk and Lincolnshire.

“The digital subscription is priced at £4.99 a month – the cover price of all our Kent titles would be more than £25 a week.”