Improving the Planning Applications process for a County Council
Objective
Spirals was commissioned by the Planning and Transport Strategy Group of a large County Council to improve its performance in relation to all Planning Applications. The Service had a national Best Value Performance Indicator – BVPI 109. Performance against this measure formed part of the Council’s overall CPA assessment. The service is currently in the bottom quartile for BV109.
Engagement
Spirals was asked to look at the process for all Planning Applications that the Service deals with. This covered the full range of activities from the first approach to the dispatch of the decision. Spirals work needed to allow for a departmental re-structure and the need and expectation for the service to develop a more ‘joined up’ approach, both within the department, corporately and outside the authority with the Districts and the key stakeholder groups.
A key element of the methodology was the need for real benefits to be made, with buy-in across the whole Planning Application process together with a clear understanding of the current issues and areas for improvement.
Spirals ran a number of half day process mapping workshops to identify the current approach. These were followed by additional meetings with individuals and/or small groups to consider discrete parts of the Planning Application process, as required.
Result
The service was dealing with approximately two hundred and forty planning applications per annum. Of these about ninety are minerals and waste applications. Of the ninety minerals and waste applications between seventy and seventy five are classed as BV109a.
Spirals prepared detailed maps showing the current Planning Application process and highlighting the areas for improvement. The report made pragmatic recommendations on how best to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
In total approximately five weeks was reduced from the process using the same resource. The client has commissioned Spirals for similar work and recommended us to other authorities. This was one of the assignments that helped Spirals to become an approved supplier to the Planning Advisory Service.
Ref: 00107