The Planning Portal

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The Planning Portal Killian Pretty Work
Streams
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The Killian Pretty Review¹ - November 2008
Planning A faster and more responsive system

• 17 Recommendations Ranging from - reducing
  numbers of applications
• requiring full planning permission through
  to simplifying the national policy
• framework and secondary legislation to
  reduce complexity for all parties
• engaged in the process

• Planning Portal involvement Tasked with
  delivering three (3)
• recommendations Work stream 3 Improving
  online planning information
• Work stream 5a Encouraging e-consultation
• Work stream 13b Accredited agents scheme

1 Pretty, D and Killian, J (2008) The Killian
Pretty Review A faster and more responsive
system. Final Report. Communities and Local
Government. London
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• Work Stream 3 Improving online planning
  information

• Improving links between the Planning Portal and
  LPAs
• Identifying and sharing best practice
• Improving links between Portal and CLG website
• Research into current use of online tools
• What are the opportunities and what are the
  barriers to creating high quality information
  services?
• Planning Portal working in partnership with CLG
  the Planning Advisory Service

• Killian Pretty Best practice content
  linksToolkit for LPAS for linking to the
  Planning Portal. Identifying essential links to
  content and services
• Benefits
• Reducing need to create and maintain content
• Lowers costs for LPAs
• Provides consistent guidance on permitted
  development and other planning matters

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• Improving online planning information links
  between the Planning Portal and
  Local Councils

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• Work Stream 3 Improving online planning
  information cont

• Killian Pretty Mini guides
• The Portal will publish the first of a series of
  'mini-guides' to permitted development projects,
  including
• Porches, extensions, loft conversions,
• Conservatories
• Complements existing guidance is a service for
  professionals as well as householders
• Guides will be released as interactive online
  tools and print-friendly PDFs.
• Future enhancements - Street scene
• To provide the same interface onto planning and
  building regulations
• Focus is on minor commercial and business
  developments and advertising
• Will be explored in greater detail in early 2010
  work closely with Killian Pretty work stream 1
  reviewing possible changes to the permitted
  development rules

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Making Planning Guidance
accessible

• What nextInteractive Policy guides
• Working with CLG Policy teams to develop short,
  user-friendly guidance to 'hot topics'
• New Extensions Mini Guide

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The Killian Pretty Review¹ - November 2008
Planning Applications A faster and more
responsive system

• Planning Portal involvement Tasked with
  delivering three (3)
• recommendations
• Work stream 13b Accredited agents scheme

Planning Work streamAgent Accreditation Scheme

• Recommendation 13b The introduction of an
  'accredited agent' scheme
• by local planning authorities for householder
  and other minor development
• schemes .can encourage higher quality
  applications, which in turn may
• lead to faster decision times and more
  efficient use of local authority
• resources

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What is an Agent Accreditation Scheme? A set of
standards set by LPAs and communicated to
applicants, facilitating easier, more efficient
processing of applications
Background The Planning and Regulatory Services
Online Project (PARSOL) Fast Track Agent
Accreditation Scheme was rolled out in 2007 to a
small number of pilot Local Planning Authorities
(LPAs) before wider circulation.
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The revised Agent Accreditation scheme differs
from the PARSOL project 2 key ways1) There is
no promise of faster decisions. The scheme is
promoted on the basis of quality and partnership
between LPAs and applicants2) We are looking
at a collaborative solution (for those LPAs
that wish to participate) rather than individual
schemes
It is important to note that the Planning Portal
is facilitating this scheme and has no part to
play in policing the scheme. The Standards and
all decisions stemming from them are owned by
the participating LPAs.
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• Government Response March 2009 Implementation
  of recommendation 13a rests with LPAs. For its
  part the Government, through the Planning Portal,
  will identify opportunities to support LPAs to
  take forward an Accredited Agent Scheme

• Planning Portal Activities Invited all LPAs
  to take part in an on-line
• survey.

• 225 LPAs responded.

• Of these 4 are currently running a scheme
• - Torbay
• - Waverley
• - St Helens
• - Doncaster (further 2 have terminated
  theirs)

• 42 currently considering running their own
  agent accreditation scheme

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more survey results...

• 36.5 of LPAs stated that demand was low/ very
  low for an agent accreditation scheme in their
  areahowever many based this on the fact planning
  professionals had never asked about one

• Our research has shown a very high level of
  interest in an accredited agent
• scheme from planning professionals

• LPAs that had run schemes experienced many
  benefits including
• - A significant improvement in the quality
  of the applications
• - Less time being spent on processing
  applications
• - Less applications going to appeal
• All with very little start up or running
  costs

• Accreditation based on PARSOL Standard
  compliance

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Following the research we have launched two pilot
schemes, one Northern and one Southern. The
pilot was originally planned to run for 3 months
from 1st September 1st December. However, an
extension has been agreed by CLG. At the end of
the pilots an evaluation of the schemes will be
undertaken to ascertain potential options of
introducing a collaborative scheme that could be
adopted by any LPA. Feedback from all
participating LPAs, planning agents and
professionals will be captured to influence these
options. Each of these pilots are operating as
separate schemes owned by the LPAs.
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The pilot participants Northern pilot Southern
pilot Barnsley MBC Bath NE Somerset Bradford
MDC Bristol City Council East Riding
Council North Somerset Council Kirklees
Council South Gloucester Council Leeds City
Council Selby DC
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• Format of the scheme
• The proposed scheme has a few key parts
• The Participants (LPAs and Professionals)
• The Standards
• 2 pdf notifications (Applying for(1) and
  Accredited(2))
• A collaborative working tool

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• Variables decided by the Northern group
• Apply to on and offline applications
• Apply to all types of applications except Majors
• A professional needs to submit 3 high quality
  applications to any participating LPAs to become
  accredited?
• An Accredited Agent has 1 warning before being
  decertified.
• 1 warning is gained by not meeting 1 standard on
  any application.
• If they do not meet 2 standards they are
  immediately decertified.
• If they submit 3 high quality applications they
  will lose their warning.

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What represents a good quality application?
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• How will we measure success?
• Review all applications in 1 week prior to the
  pilot against the agreed standards to Baseline
  the quality (if possible)
• Post pilot analysis of what standards are easily
  met and which proved more difficult for
  Professionals to meet
• A brief survey for LPA staff and participating
  professionals documenting their perceptions of
  the scheme

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• Planning Portal Actions
• Planning Portal to set up collaborative working
  tool with all required documents and circulate
  individual log in details and instructions
• Planning Portal to supply details of the scheme
  for LPA websites

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Northern pilot Progress to date Agents
invited - 161 Agents pre-accredited -
11 Additional Agents accredited -
3 Applications received - 19 Submitted
by - 10 No. met standards - 9 (50) Main
reasons for not meeting standards Adherence to
checklists - 5 A3 plans, scale bar
dimension - 8 Online or phone payment -
3 Drawings must indicate paper size - 2
Southern pilot - 156 - 28 - 5 - 34 -
17 - 15 (45) - 9 - 22 (9 - A3)
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Southern pilot Progress to date Agents
invited - 156 Agents pre-accredited -
28 Additional Agents accredited -
5 Applications received - 34 Submitted
by - 17 No. met standards - 15
(45) Reasons for not meeting standards Adherence
to checklists - 9 A3 plans, scale bar
dimension - 22 (9 - A3)
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• Next steps
• Obtain extension period from CLG
• Communicate extension to LPAs and Professionals
• Encourage greater participation of
  Professionals - possible workshop (planning
  Southern Agent event) - additional PR via
  Portal LPAs
• Agree project review meetings and frequency