Statutory notices for the 21st century
In case you missed it, DCLG has challenged local authorities and other parties to come up with new and innovative ways of communicating statutory notices.
If you can think of a better way of advertising a planning application than attaching it to a lamppost then you have until 28th January to submit a proposal to DCLG to apply to take part in a pilot.
The article on GOV.uk states: “The pilots will explore how we change statutory notices so that they reach more people, are easier to read, give greater visibility and transparency to big issues and reduce costs in a sustainable way.”
More information and an application form are available on GOV.uk
Planning Portal Blog 
Why not just publish each week on the Councils main webpage a list of all applications received. This would be in addition to the usual neighbour notification. This will avoid putting up notices on lamp posts, fences or walls and often the dispute as to whether this has been done, the notice has been defaced, torn down or weather destroyed.
Adopt the Australian model and put the onus on the applicant to advertise and make a statutory declaration that the application has been duly advertised at the time of submission of the application, providing a date imprint photo might also be provided.
Making the client/agent erect a site notice worked with telecoms developments (Prior Notification).
We already have a webpage on our Council’s website of those cases that need to be advertised in the press and there are links to see previous applications advertised. There are links off the application and a link for customers to comment on development. I think this is the way to go
Allow people to define their own criteria for email notifications –
Tick boxes for things such as Housing, Trunk Roads, Planning Applications.
For each option there could be a trigger value (projected cost), and a distance from a given postcode (or perhaps multiple postcodes for those with businesses, power of attorney or second homes).
Users would thus be notified when something they deem significant affects their locale.