We’ve made some changes to our application home page this week. We hope it will make a difference to first time users as well as seasoned pros.
Over time the old planning applications home page had grown and grown to the point where there was a vast amount of information competing for attention.
We’ve analysed traffic in and out of the old page, looked at keywords used in incoming searches and tried to cut the page back to the bare essentials.
We hope the result is page that gives first-time users an overview of the service but a clear link into the application service for return visitors. I’d be happy to get your thoughts on the new page.
A note to LPAs
We’ve noticed that many LPA sites link to our main home page when a link to this page may be more appropriate.
If you are telling site visitors they can make an application on the Planning Portal, this link would be more appropriate than the main Portal home page as customers remain in the context of the user journey.
As previously mentioned, the switch-over of the DCLG website to Gov.uk has meant that some links from the Portal have been broken.
In the meantime you could try the search facility on the new site to find DCLG policy and other documents as they are migrated. Legislation can be found here.
As you’ll undoubtedly already know, planning fees in England have increased by 15% from today. The revised fee schedule is available from the Portal.
We have made the necessary changes to the fee calculator to take this increase into account and the Portal elves successfully deployed the new structure while you slept. The switchover worked fine and the fee calculator is working correctly to reflect the new fees.
If you had an application in draft on the Portal the system will have updated the fee for you automatically. You will need to confirm the fee before you submit it.
The planning fee increase was determined by the Department for Communities and Local Government (not the Portal – so don’t shoot the messenger) and was communicated to English local planning authorities last week.
I really want to keep this blog thriving, successful and open to all who wish to contribute without fear or favour.
In order to do so and to keep a sense of vague decorum as befits a Civil Servant, I have a few house rules, break them and you’ll find your comments do not reach the masses who sit patiently waiting for the next slice of portal pie.
The rules are simple:
- Be nice, and if you can’t be nice be constructive at least.
- Don’t name individuals or organisations, unless you are praising them.
- Say what you like about me (but remember I’m human too!)
Thanks
This week DCLG migrated its website on to the new and shiny Government portal Gov.uk. DCLG was one of the first Government departments to do this, others will follow in the next five months or so.
As with all mass migrations of web content you get the odd glitch and as a result some of links from the Portal to DCLG content have broken.
We’re fixing these now and will be providing Gov.uk with a list of non-working links. Read more…
Whether you are an architect, builder or planner on a site visit, you’ll recognise the face-numbing pain of a cold wind blowing through the site. Well suffer no more. Here’s a stylish and effective way of protecting your fine features against all Mother Nature can throw at you.
During the summer we made a number of improvements to 1APP. One of these was a new service for local authorities to let them manage the payment options they support for online applications on the Portal.
Since its introduction we’ve noticed that a number of LPAs have not yet specified a postal address for cheque payments.
As I’m sure you’ll appreciate, this is essential to make sure our customers who choose this method can send payment ASAP to avoid any delays with registration and validation.
We’re also aware that many LPAs can now support telephone and other payments – these details can also be configured by you on the Portal.
We recommend checking whether your LPA supports this payment method. If it does you can update the Portal with the appropriate details.
A guide on how to access and configure your details is available here.
DCLG has written to Chief Planning Officers today to announce that there will be a 15% increase to planning application fees in England commencing on 22nd November 2012.
This will apply to all applications.
We are currently making the changes to the Portal fee calculator to be ready for the change.
In Wales, existing fees will apply.
DCLG has released a PDF of the letter sent to LPAs covering the fee increase. You can download it here.
A government-backed competition will offer grants totalling £7m to boost research and development of the innovative 3D printing manufacturing process including the development of concrete building components.
And you thought my earlier post was a joke, ha!
Planning Portal Blog 
