The Government's Planning Portal is aiming to forge greater links with the English local planning authorities (LPAs) by providing them with the tools that will see them save time, money and effort when dealing with daily planning enquiries.

Since its launch in 2002, the Portal has played a key role in supporting LPAs' move toward electronic working and in driving common standards and best practice.

Delivered by Communities and Local Government, it aims to become the first port of call for planning and building information and services.

Planning departments in England have this month taken delivery of the Planning Portal's Best Practice Guide - a toolkit which provides helpful advice on how LPAs can reduce the amount of time staff spend on general planning enquiries, simply by implementing effective click-through links to the Planning Portal website.


It is envisaged that significant time and cost savings will be made by the LPAs, simply by empowering website users to educate themselves on relevant aspects of the planning process.

Free, high level planning information for everything including the installation of a satellite dish to a loft conversion will be just one click away from the local authority's website.

Website traffic will also increase simply by increasing the quality of the information available.

St Helens Borough Council has been linking to the Portal for a number of years. They have gradually been increasing the number of links as their own website has developed including 'Useful Tools' links which benefit each user when wishing to use the volume and/or fee calculator.

Chris Dowell of Coventry City Council explains the usefulness of linking certain areas of the Planning Portal to their website: "The development plan section allows easy access to this authority’s plan documents and policies. The application submission area has been a great success and the number of users is increasing all the time. The permitted development advice is very useful and has meant that we do not have to create our own guidance for permitted development. Users particularly like the useful tools' section - something we could never produce on our own."

(CD/JM)