ePlanning

What is ePlanning?

ePlanning is about developing opportunities to e-enable the planning system to help deliver more efficient and accessible planning services and information.

ePlanning vision

The basis for the ePlanning programme was set out in the Department for Communities and Local Government's ePlanning Blueprint, published in 2004. It contains the following vision:

"A world class ePlanning Service will deliver new, more efficient ways of enabling the community to engage in developing a shared vision for their local area, easier access to high quality, relevant information and guidance and streamlined processes for sharing and exchanging information amongst key players."

We are committed to continue working towards this vision by adopting the service standards set by the Department for Communities and Local Government. Our ePlanning Action Plan is available in the documents table below.

Service improvements

Peter Pendleton and Associates (PPA) have designed criteria to appraise the availability and accessibility of online development control and planning policy information on local authority websites in England and Wales. Over the past two years, there have been significant improvements in the availability of local authority ePlanning services. In November 2003 the Pendleton survey assessed only 0.5% of local planning authorities as having "good" or "excellent" online planning services. By April 2005 this was up to 37% and the results of the December 2005 survey have indicated significant further improvements with 95%.

During the last Pendleton assessment in December 2005 we achieved a maximum score of 21 out of 21. For full details of this assessment please visit Peter Pendleton and Associates (PPA) website.

Planning Portal

The Planning Portal is available to you in association with the Council's Planning Services. The Planning Portal is the one-stop-shop for planning information and services online, set up to help anyone who wants to know more about the planning process in England and Wales.

The Planning Portal offers the latest National Planning News, access to Regulations and Guidance Notes for applications and Appeals Procedure.

Planning Casework Service (PCS)

PCS is an electronic planning casework document handling and tracking facility used to enable the processing of the Planning Inspectorate's casework. It supports electronic working between the Inspectorate and applicants/appellants, local planning authorities, Government Offices, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the National Assembly for Wales and other interested parties. It provides all parties outside the Inspectorate with direct access to documentation, progress information and the decision on the majority of cases handled by the Inspectorate.