Sorry to be direct. It’s been a while since I polled you to get a view on the range of professions that make up the blog audience.
The last time was back in 2009 when we had a breakdown of users that was split roughly 40 per cent professional applicant, 40 per cent LPA and 20 per cent member of the public.
This time I thought I’d ask the same question except with some more specific professional groupings. Read more…
There are around 2 million free downloads of the Building Regulations Approved Documents from the Portal each year – clearly this is a valued service.
It would help me to understand our service better if you could provide some feedback on what it is you value in our Approved Documents service.
I’d be grateful if you could let me know:
- How you currently use the Approved Documents downloaded from the Portal
- How we could improve or add functionality to the current service
- What your profession is
Many thanks!
For some time now I have used LinkedIn to connect with and keep tabs on my friends and colleagues.
More recently I have begun to use many of the subject or trade specific groups to reach deeper into particular sectors of our community.
By doing so I’m able to ask more targeted questions and get more detailed feedback than I can easily do via this blog.
I’m currently involved in groups for planners, building control, arboriculturalists, architects, surveyors etc.
If you think that there is a community I need to link with or you’d like to connect with me please let me know.
I thought you might like a view of the finely honed athletes that make up Team PP.
As with our all conquering heroes of the Olympics, Team PP are highly dedicated, committed to excellence and never to be found propping up the bars of Bristol (one of those statements is not true).
They are multi-award winning and help make Britain a better place.
This isn’t the entire team, just those that happened to be in the office when the camera came out, but you’ll get the gist.
Heroes one and all!
OK so while we’re all on a national high I thought this might be a good time to ask for your ideas on how we ought to celebrate our own national achievement.
As any successful wedding planner will tell you there’s no substitute for preparation so I’m starting early.
In April 2013 we will celebrate 10 years since the submission of the first electronic planning application through the Portal.
How do you think we should commemorate the occasion?
80% of local planning authorities now receive more than half their planning applications online, whilst a fantastic 48% of LPAS (193) receieve more than 60% online.
As you may already know we’re now in our 10th year (and still no OBE!) and I’m now busy plotting the next 10.
I know how invaluable (but imperfect) the 1APP system is and I’ve a good handle on the challenges faced by Local Authorities who are squeezed for cash and resources.
What I’d like to hear from you dear readers is where you see the Portal in the future and what you believe our role should be in supporting economic growth and stretched local services.
I’d like to hear what services or products you might like us develop, what you value about our services today, what you’d keep and what you wouldn’t.
I’d also like your views on the emerging trends we might hang our hat on and perhaps even which services might you be willing to pay for.
I’m happy for your view to be ‘big picture’ or detail focussed but as always keep ’em clean and keep ’em constructive.
Update March 2015: I thought I’d revisit this popular post from 2012 and 2013. I’m sure there are new apps out there to help planning and building professionals do their job. We’ve added the recent Pocket Guide to Planning. Please let me know if there are any you think should be added.
Here’s a list of some of the smartphone and tablet apps you recommended for fellow planning (and building control) colleagues.
Feel free to send me any more suggestions as a comment below and I’ll add them to the list.
Thanks to all who provided these suggestions. The table below now includes additional apps mentioned in the comments.
In the extremely unlikely event that you remain unconvinced of the value of e-submission, please read and circulate freely the following independent report.
In this case the report focuses on Tree applications but could as easily apply to many application scenarios.
Thanks to CAS for the feedback.
As regular readers of this blog will know, the last few months have seen a lot of activity around our application service with multiple improvements, fixes and changes.
With so many changes coming through I thought it might be helpful to put together a headline summary of the changes we have made over the last few months – and flag up some that are on the way.
Planning Portal Blog 