Fix PRE (Preston) scraper - #496
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The scraper was using an http:// base URL for the ModernGov endpoint. Preston's moderngov instance now requires HTTPS and is protected by a Cloudflare WAF that returns 403 to non-browser clients. Switching to https:// and using Playwright (headless Chromium) allows the JS challenge to be executed and the XML endpoint to be reached cleanly in Lambda.
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Re-scrape after e305240Initial fix: HTTPS migration + Playwright for Cloudflare bypass. Cloudflare blocks all non-Chromium clients from this environment (both wreq and curl receive a connection reset or 403 challenge page), so scrape counts can only be confirmed after a Lambda run where headless Chromium will execute the JS challenge.
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What broke
The scraper was hitting
http://preston.moderngov.co.uk/mgWebService.asmx/GetCouncillorsByWardand receiving a 403. Preston's ModernGov instance now enforces HTTPS and is behind a Cloudflare WAF that challenges non-browser HTTP clients — wreq's TLS fingerprint is blocked at the WAF layer, returning 403 before the ASMX response is served.What was fixed
base_urlfromhttp://preston.moderngov.co.uktohttps://preston.moderngov.co.ukinmetadata.jsonhttp_lib = "playwright"to use headless Chromium in Lambda, which executes the Cloudflare JS challenge and retrieves the XML endpoint contentScrape results
Local testing is blocked by the same Cloudflare WAF from this environment. Counts will be confirmed on the next Lambda run after merge.
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