Targets for Planning Webpages and Online Services

PDG Criteria 2007

The government has set targets for local government's delivery of online services and presentation of online information and has compiled a set of criteria for local planning authorities to aim to meet. Some of the criteria items are listed as follows, along with our method of delivery for each item.

Band 1

Ref.	Criteria Description	Delivery
1.11	DPDs viewable online.	All relevant documents are available online as PDFs. Key pages: Statement of Community Involvement; Development Plan; Core Strategy; Local Development Framework; Planning Policy.
2.5	Online pre-application advice provided.	Over 40 webpages and several PDFs contain information and practical advice on the planning application process. Key pages: What is Planning Permission?; The Application and Decision Process; Publicity & Consultations; Do I Need Permission?; Commenting on an Application.
2.10	Online access to general information on various types of constraints.	Constraints are summarised on the page Factors that Restrict Development. See also: Flood Risk; Conservation Areas; Article 4 Direction for Northgate Conservation Area; TPOs.
3.18	Committee agendas, reports and minutes published online	All available information and documents can be accessed from this Planning Committee page.
3.24	Appeals published online.	See Planning Appeals. This page provides detailed guidance about the appeal process as well as links to lists of current appeals and recent appeal decisions. These list are updated almost immediately whenever a new appeal or decision is added to the database. As the number of appeals we receive is very low, it is not necessary to publish new schedules at a regular frequency.
4.1	Inform of breaches online	An online form is provided for reporting breaches. See Enforcement.

Band 2

Ref.	Criteria Description	Delivery
1.2	The LPA has their Development Plan with a fully interactive (i.e. providing links between the areas defined on the map and the full text of the relevant polices and proposals) online Proposals Map. The online Proposals map should indicate the level (two tier authorities) and status of the map.	See The Local Plan.
1.3	The LPA has an IT based system for managing planning policy development and consultation.

Band 3

Ref.	Criteria Description	Delivery
2.13	The LPA publishes online advice and Planning Application Requirements (validation checklists) on the completion of application forms.	See Applying for Permission and What to include with your Application.
3.7	An electronic ‘case file’ for each current application can be viewed online comprising completed application forms, application drawings, and any associated documents submitted as part of the application is available online (in accordance with the PARSOL Planning and building control information online – Guidance notes for practitioners 2nd edition) within five working days of the receipt of the application and before consultation requests are sent out.	Case files are not available online.
3.12	There is online access to further information about an application including: application status, case officer, contact details, date received, validation/registration date, target date for decision, start/end dates for public consultation, actual decision date.	See Search Applications Online.
4.7	There is online access to the enforcement register including access to actual enforcement notices for the past five years. This is updated within one working day of a change to the information.	Details of enforcement cases are not published online.

Band 4

Ref.	Criteria Description	Delivery
3.2	The LPA actively promotes applications to be made online through means such as agent forums, leaflets, web banners and e-mail promotions.	Online facilities are publicised on paper forms and on posters.
3.4	Applications received online automatically update the back office system.	No
3.11	Customers can access an online map which allows them to click on a property or application and then links to relevant application case files.	No
3.16	Comments on applications received online automatically update the back office system.	No
5.1	There is an IT based system for capturing application related performance data, at authority, down to individual officer, level which shows: cases on hand; applications nearing their 8 and 13 week targets; and whether 95% of applications are validated and registered within three working days and 100% within five working days.	No

Pendleton Criteria 2006

For several years up to 2006, there was an annual assessment carried out by Peter Pendleton & Associates for all local planning authorities against a fixed set of 21 criteria. Darlington Borough Council's score in 2006 was 19 (out of a maximum of 21). The criteria, and how we met them, are summarised here as follows:

Item	Criteria Description	Delivery
1	Planning page accessible from council home page, either via direct link or through an A-Z index or keyword search.	Links to Planning are included on the website homepage, as well as Business, Resident (under "Living") and Visitor (under "Living") theme pages, as well as under A-Z of Council Services: P.
2	Online application register of current and past applications.	Applications, current and existing (dating back to 1997), can be searched and viewed online [see Search Applications Online]. The data is updated daily. We also publish a list of current active applications online [see Lists of Applications], updated weekly.
3	Can you view application drawings & attachments?	No.
4	Can you view appeals?	Lists of current appeals and recent appeal decisions are available in PDF. See Planning Appeals or Lists of Applications. These schedules are updated almost immediately whenever a new appeal or decision is added to the database. As the number of appeals we receive is very low, it is not necessary to publish new schedules at a regular frequency.
5	Facility to comment on an application, allowing representations about individual applications to be submitted electronically.	An online form for commenting on an application can be accessed via the Search Applications Online facility. See also Commenting on an Application.
6	Facility to monitor applications online, allowing the user to track the progress of an application from registration to determination by providing active updated information for each application.	See Search Applications Online. The user needs to register before using this service. An email message will be sent out each time an update takes place on each selected application record.
7	Online decision registers.	Decision details are included in the Search Applications Online facility. Applications that have already been decided will include a link to the decision details. We also publish a list of recent decisions online [see Lists of Applications].
8	The statutory decision notice issued by the Council is available to view in full online.	No.
9	Are the conditions / reasons for refusal listed?	See Search Applications Online. Conditions and reasons for refusal are listed on the Decision Details screen, which is accessed by clicking the Decision Details link.
10	Can Officers' Reports be viewed?	See Planning Committee and Planning Committee Meetings List. The Committee agenda, which includes officers' reports, is published online a few days before the meeting. Online reports date back as far as May 2004.
11	Committee meeting schedule/agenda, plus online calendar.	The date of the next meeting is displayed in bold at the top of the Planning Committee page and a list of dates of forthcoming meetings is included at at bottom of the page. A link to the Committee Schedule (in PDF) is also included. This schedule is published approximately a week or more before the meeting, a few days in advance of the full agenda.
12	Can records of previous committee meetings be viewed?	Committee agendas and minutes are available (as PDF files), dating from May 2004. See Planning Committee Meetings List.
13	Web-based textual planning guidance and answers to basic planning enquires.	Guidance and advice is presented alongside the access to search facilities and online forms. See Planning Applications & Permission. In particular, see Do I Need Permission?, Applying for Permission, Commenting on an Application, Useful Guides, The Application Process and Appeals.
14	Online application submission.	See Making an Application Online.
15	Downloadable (paper) forms?	See Application Forms. The forms have been made available as PDF files.
16	Online payment of fees.	An online payment facility is included in most of the online application forms.
17	Can drawings, photographs and documents associated with the online application be attached to an electronic application?	A facility to attach and upload documents is provided within the application form. A similar facility is also provided separately, so that further documents associated with the application can be submitted later if required.
18	Is the development plan text available?	See The Local Plan.
19	Is the proposals map available?	See The Local Plan. The text and maps can be displayed in separate windows if preferred.
20	Is the proposals map linked to policy?	See The Local Plan. Items in the map key link appropriately to text.
21	Is the proposals map comprehensive and easy to use?	See The Local Plan. Navigation between the different sheets and tiles is simple and quick.

Other Government Requirements

As a planning authority, we are obliged or recommended to publish on our website:

current policy documents;
any draft policy document, during its consultation period;
any policy document prepared as part of the Local Development Framework;
consultation response forms.

Other Initiatives

In addition to government-led initiatives, we are aiming to provide on our website useful information and links on the following subjects:

We have also introduced an online form for Permitted Development Enquiries.

Last updated - 02/08/2007