In October 2011 the Planning Portal processed 24,231 electronic planning applications.
We also received a record 812,086 visits from a record 347,316 visitors
Page views was also highest in 18 months at 8,575,319
Meanwhile there were 132,778 downloads of the Approved Documents (again a record high)
So it’s not all doom and gloom then……..
LPAs:
What do you think, would you support a common list hosted by the Portal or would the perceived need for local differentiation prevent it?
Agents:
If we can’t achieve the above, would there be any benefit in hosting the existing local lists on the Portal or would that simply be unnecessary duplication?
Following the news that the tower containing Big Ben is leaning, I thought I’d big up Bristol’s own and, may I say, far more impressive leaning tower.
It’s just a couple of hundred yards from our office and is still going strong after more than 600 years.
Who needs perpendicular? And where were Building Control when these foundations went in?
Last week, I updated you on the revamped Working with LPAs pages, this week it’s time for professional applicants to get a content refresh.
The Working with Professionals section has been redesigned to provide help and guidance to planning professionals who are considering working online for the first time – as well as useful hints and tips for experienced Portal veterans. Read more…
Time for another LPA-focussed post – so apologies in advance to all those not toiling away in planning offices all around the country.
One of the Portal’s key objectives is to increase the number of planning applications submitted electronically. A large part of our success so far has been achieved through the excellent partnerships we’ve built with LPAs.
Naturally, we want to make sure LPAs have the necessary tools to receive, process and determine applications electronically and to help challenge the culture of planning to move towards newer and better ways of working. Read more…
• The Planning Portal will deliver more than £0.5bn in quantifiable benefits to the UK economy over the next four years.
• In Q1, 2012 the Portal will process its one millionth online planning application.
• Each month there are almost eight million page views of the Portal website
• In the current financial year alone there will be circa 10 million visitors to the Portal website and close to two million downloads of the Building Regulations Approved Documents.
• The Planning Portal will cost the taxpayer less than £4m over the next three years.
• Last week I turned down a request to spend 94p on post-its
P.S We still have advertising slots available
I get a lot of correspondence from agents on the subject of validation. In particular on the apparent disparity between what they and citizens are expected to provide.
In the interest of balance, I thought I’d ask LPAs to join in the conversation by telling us of your personal bugbears, horror stories or just plain funny attempts to get permission.
Perhaps you could throw in some top tips, too.
Remember no names – my litigation budget isn’t what it was.
The Portal’s Low Carbon Pledge has been signed by well over 100 planning professionals who have declared their commitment to minimise CO2 emissions by submitting their applications online.
Building on the success of this I’m delighted to tell you that the British Sign and Graphics Association (BSGA) is the first professional organisation to sign the Professional Bodies and Trade Association version of the pledge. Read more…
Slightly (a lot really) off topic but if you’d like to know what I get up to outside of my day job, take a look at this link and consider joining me.
P.S I’m the hairy one.
Although this blog is intended for everyone, now and again I use it to talk to a particular group, in this case my friends in local planning authorities.
You have told us again and again that the plans attached to applications are a common cause of invalid applications.
We’re working to address this (and generate some revenue to keep the wolf from the door) by asking all of you who do not sell plans or have a preferred supplier to add a link to our Buy a Plan service.
Planning Portal Blog 