We recently worked with the Better Connected team on the first Better Connected Live event, which marks the move from this as an annual survey of local authority websites to a rolling annual programme.
We ran a joint session on planning which brought together local authority planners with IT and Web managers. Pete Flynn from Liverpool City Council shared some of their experiences about how digital working involves not just their website, but also how their teams handle the planning applications that they receive via the Planning Portal and on paper.
Helen Williams, one of the Better Connected reviewers, also gave an overview of their analysis of this year’s planning task, Object to a planning application. Much of the standard software to manage this came in for criticism, with good practice being highlighted by those authorities who have customised those off-the-shelf products to make them more user-friendly.
I thought you might be interested in this write-up in Public Service Digital:
http://publicservicedigital.com/story/how-liverpool-encourages-development-through-online-planning
The Better Connected Planning analysis can be found here:
https://betterconnected.socitm.net/services/planning/object-to-a-planning-application/2015-2016
Last week I spent a few days out at the RTPI Convention in London and CIH Conference in Manchester. Events like these are a valuable way to meet many of our customers in one place and also to hear views on trends in the industry.
Unsurprisingly, last week’s events were dominated by talk of the EU referendum and what it means for the development industry. Against a backdrop of large fall in share prices for house builders and others there was clearly concern, but also a large dose of pragmatism. The bottom line is that no-one really knows what will happen, but the message was clear – the more we talk up a scenario of impending doom, the more likely it is to occur, so what we need at the moment is level heads and open minds.
I also came across this balanced article from the RTPI’s The Planner, which I thought might be of interest to you: http://www.theplanner.co.uk/news/brexit-reaction
Read the full story on our website by clicking on the headline.
Brexit won’t mean bonfire of EU green regulations insist lawyers
Lawyers and ecologists say that EU directives and European-derived regulations that relate to wildlife protection and air quality limits are likely to remain in place despite the referendum outcome…
Spending watchdog warns that HS2 regeneration benefits are at risk
The HS2 high-speed rail project has an unrealistic timetable and is facing increased cost and schedule pressures, according to National Audit Office report…
Worcester blocks edge-of-centre retail development
21-hectare Worcester Woods development refused on the basis that it would have a significant adverse impact on the vitality and viability of retailers in Worcester City Centre…
RTPI president says planning reforms haven’t delivered better growth
Williams urges the government to take a fundamentally different approach to the role of planning, “one that recognises, supports and invests in the benefits that planning can deliver”…
North Northamptonshire joint development plan passes muster
Inspector’s report published concluding that, subject to modifications, the North Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit’s Joint Core Strategy is “sound”…
Planning round up 30 June 2016
– Wolverhampton tram expansion
– Ashford redevelopment approved
– London round-up
– Bradford approves homes in flood-risk area
– Clark blows away single turbine near M1
– Stratford-on-Avon District Council’s core strategy is sound
– Humber Bridge mooted as tourist attraction
– And more stories…
Roger Milne
Read the full story on our website by clicking on the headline.
Ministers publish new garden settlement prospectus
Further guidance published for the government’s Locally-Led Garden Villages, Towns and Cities scheme stressing the importance of community support for proposals…
Great North Plan mooted by RTPI and IPPR North
Blueprint seeks to turn the concept of a Northern Powerhouse into a reality by focusing on key industries and themes…
New-look York local plan makes waves
York’s emerging local plan continues to make progress with councillors set to approve a new preferred sites document…
Clark blocks Cambridgeshire solar farm projects
Two solar farm developments for the same site are refused on appeal, in both cases Clark concluded the solar farms would represent inappropriate development in a green belt location…
Revised Buckinghamshire local plan proposes garden town and a new settlement
Draft Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan to be considered by full council before going out for public consultation…
Planning round-up 23 June 2016
– Latest quarterly planning application figures
– Inquiry into M4 extension around Newport announced
– Builders warn of capacity constraints to meet new homes targets
– Report looks at how city-regions can deliver more affordable housing
– Bracknell Forest gears up for new local plan
– Green light for Congleton link road
– Manchester housing project
– And more stories…
Roger Milne
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about a new service we’ve launched for homeowners using our site to get in touch with trade professionals who can help them.
Our first partner was the long established, reputable Federation of Master Builders (FMB), this week we are pleased to announce the second partner for the service is Plentific’s ‘Find A Pro’ platform. This start-up is winning awards and already has 75,000 trade professionals registered on its service across 350 different disciplines.
Don’t forget that this service is entirely optional for homeowners to use, and entirely optional for professionals to sign up for. If you choose to use it as an extra route to potential customers, it won’t cost you to sign up for either partner – you just need to follow the links on their respective sites.
We’re delivering this service as part of our strategy to offer optional value-added services to our customers, whilst keeping our core application service completely free of charge.
Read the full story on our website by clicking on the headline.
Clark blocks Ipswich affordable homes scheme over ‘inclusivity’ issues
Communities Secretary refuses Ravenswood development on the basis that it conflicts with national policy “to create inclusive and mixed communities”…
MPs criticise government’s flooding strategy
Environment audit committee report urges the government to take a more proactive approach to managing flood risk…
Ministers insist new bill won’t curtail archaeological activity
Petition sparked by fears that the neighbourhood planning and infrastructure bill will curtail the use of planning conditions requiring archaeological surveys…
Future of Welsh planning outlined by minister
Speaking at the RTPI Cymru, Welsh planning minister Lesley Griffiths set out her vision for the Welsh planning system…
Liverpool unveils ambitious life and medical sciences campus project
Liverpool mayor announces flagship development scheme that could create up to 10,000 jobs…
Planning round-up 16 June 2016
– Dark skies
– Leeds housing allowed on appeal
– Report calls for older person priorities in local plans
– Think-tank talks up the economic contribution of small and medium-sized towns and cities
– Oxfordshire and Kent local plan developments
– Wolverhampton station development
– And more stories…
Roger Milne
Following hot on the heels of last week’s post about our new ‘Find A Trade Professional’ service, I’m equally pleased to announce that we’re also teaming up with RTPI and their official magazine, The Planner, to publish their online planning job vacancies across local authorities and private practice.
You can see the pages on our site by visiting www.planningportal.co.uk/industryjobs
This is another strong brand partnership for us, and another new area of content, this time to support our professional planning customers.
More content partnerships in other areas will follow to support those of you that aren’t planners.
And of course, we’re continuing to work on improvements to the application service behind the scenes and more will also follow on that shortly.
A lot of the traffic to our site is from members of the public who visit our ‘do you need permission?’ section to understand whether they need to apply for planning permission to extend or improve their homes, or whether its covered by permitted development.
Helping to ‘demystify’ planning for them has always been part of our objectives, but we’re also conscious that many need the help and support of a qualified professional to help them realise their ambitions.
With that in mind, we’re pleased to launch this week our new ‘Find A Trade Professional’ service. There are already a plethora of services out there, and rather than reinvent the wheel, we’ve carefully selected partners who already provide a quality service, both in terms of how they maintain the quality of their trade professionals and in the quality of the user experience their service offers.
We’ve also chosen partners who can complement each other by offering different kinds of service and different kinds of professions. We are particularly pleased that our first partner to go live this week is the Federation of Master Builders, a highly respected and long-established brand. More will follow over the coming weeks.
To take a look at our new service, visit www.planningportal.co.uk/findaprofessional
Read the full story on our website by clicking on the headline.
New research questions local plan housing supply claims
Indigo Planning report casts doubt on the ability of councils to meet housing supply targets…
Ombudsman probe reveals huge Hackney enforcement backlog
Local Government Ombudsman investigation concludes that planning authorities must keep track of enforcement action and follow through when promising to act…
Oxford publishes report which ‘justifies’ green belt urban extensions
Council report calls for a review of Oxford’s green belt inner boundaries to allow strategic housing allocations…
MPs cry foul over withdrawal of contaminated land grants
Soil Health report argues that without funding councils are less able and less likely to proactively investigate potential contamination…
Clark allows housing appeals in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire
Two separate housing schemes totalling over 400 dwellings allowed on appeal by the Secretary of State…
Planning round-up 9 June
– Salford Quays set to double up
– Teesside regeneration report
– Pig farmers pan planning
– Go-ahead for Nottinghamshire waste gasification facility
– Report says productivity not connectivity should be Northern Powerhouse priority
– Government’s Kent lorry park plan slated by MPs
– Local plan round-up
– And more stories…
Roger Milne
Read the full story on our website by clicking on the headline.
Birmingham plan ‘paused’ over green belt issues
Government uses new powers under the Housing and Planning Act 2016 to put Birmingham Development Plan on hold…
Council ‘fury’ over Stockton housing scheme U-turn
Outline proposals for a 550 home development at Ingleby Barwick allowed after government reconsideration of appeal decision…
Latest population projections published
The Office for National Statistics latest population projections indicate a larger and increasingly ageing UK population…
Green light for new settlement at Stratford-on-Avon
Outline planning permission granted for 140-hectare development in Warwickshire…
Go-ahead for major Warrington developments
Planning committee approves the next stage of development for the Omega South project…
Planning round-up 2 June 2016
– New Homes Bonus allocations
– National Infrastructure Assessment
– Scottish planning review
– Housing completions
– Manchester housing schemes
– Green energy project determinations
– Estates regeneration initiative
– And more stories…
Roger Milne
