Housing Minister Rt Hon MP has
today announced a £1.1 million fund to test the use of digital
tools and data standards across 10 local areas.
The planning white paper ‘Planning for the
future’, published in August 2020, proposed reforms to the
planning system to streamline and modernise the planning process.
The pathfinder programme will look at the digital transformation
of local plans which will increase community involvement and
speed up the planning process.
By introducing a digital system that makes plans map-based and
accessible online, local people will be able to engage with
planning in their local area, which will help get homes built
quicker.
Councils will test how existing local plans translate into the
new system, including moving away from long text documents to an
interactive map with accompanying annotation document, and the
adaptation of existing site allocation policies into the proposed
land categorisation format.
This will enable planners to understand the impact of proposed
land designations and associated policy implications on land
allocations and inform a wide range of policies across the reform
programme.
Community engagement will continue to play a key role for
ensuring that the right levels of growth are identified to meet
the needs of the community. In the new system digital tools will
be key for making planning proposals more accessible and
interactive, supporting the ambition for more effective community
engagement.
Housing Minister Rt Hon MP said:
We are moving away from notices on lamp posts to an interactive
and accessible map-based online system – placing planning at the
fingertips of people.
Today’s announcement will ensure the planning process will be
brought into the digital age. Communities will be reconnected to
a planning process that is supposed to serve them, with residents
more engaged over what happens in their areas.
While the current system excludes residents, who do not have the
time to contribute to the lengthy and complex planning process,
local democracy and accountability will now be enhanced by
technology and transparency.
Local Government Association Chairman Cllr James Jamieson said:
Councils want communities to be able to shape and define the area
they live in, and support measures to enhance public
participation in the planning process through a more digital
service.
This will help to make the planning system more accessible and
efficient, and we look forward to working with government to
ensure that all residents can engage in the planning process.
Cllr David Ritchie, Cabinet Member for Planning and Coastal
Management at East Suffolk Council said:
East Suffolk Council is extremely pleased to be selected as one
of 10 local authorities to test how existing local plans can
adapt to a new approach.
We welcome this opportunity to engage directly with MHCLG and
other local authorities to assist in informing and shaping a more
digitised and interactive local plan process. We hope that this
will not only increase community participation but will also
speed up the planning process.
The 10 bids from local councils to be selected are:
- Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council
- Stratford upon Avon District Council and Warwick District
Council
- Plymouth City Council, South Hams District Council and West
Devon Borough Council
- Dacorum Borough Council
- Broxbourne Borough Council
- Birmingham City Council
- East Suffolk Council
- London Borough Hounslow
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
- Ashford Borough Council
Bringing planning into the digital age will provide a range of
exciting opportunities for PropTech companies to innovate and
bring forward new ideas.
This project will build on the work of the United Kingdom
government that has helped millions of people continue to provide
for their families as part of its Plan for Jobs to
protect, support and create employment.
Futher information
The planning white paper
committed to working with local authorities to test the
proposals, and the use of digital to help.
Conversion of Local Plans
Local councils will test how existing local plans translate into
the new system, including moving away from long text documents to
an interactive map with accompanying annotation document, and the
adaptation of existing site allocation policies into the proposed
land categorisation format.
This will help us to understand the impact of proposed land
designations and associated policy implications on land
allocations, inform a wide range of policies across the reform
programme and help to provide evidence for our work on local plan
data standards and structural templates.
Data standards and site selection
Data standards within local plans are key for increasing
accessibility, transparency and improved decision-making in the
planning process and wider planning sector. Local authorities are
going to work, with the support of MHCLG, to develop and test
data standards through the site selection process.
