West Berkshire Council launches new digital planning service

As part of the Council's work to move planning services online and make it more accessible and easier to navigate, the new service will allow residents to check to see if they need to apply for planning permission and can advise them whether they might need to apply. This service will make it easier for residents to understand if they need to submit a planning application for items such as solar panels, loft conversions, adding an outbuilding or adding a dropped kerb. This service makes planning information simpler and more transparent for applicants and ensures consistency of guidance.

Those who may need to fill in a planning application can use the council's pre-application advice service or apply through the Planning Portal website. This work is being delivered through the Open Digital Planning network - a community of council officers, and digital and technical experts who are working together to design and build the next generation of local government planning services in England. West Berkshire Council was awarded funding for this new service from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) as part of Round 1 of the Planning Software Improvement Fund.

Cllr Tony Vickers, portfolio holder for Planning and Community Engagement said:

"This service is aimed at householders and small local firms and property professionals. I have tested it myself and recommend others do so too. Like any new bit of technology, we believe the end users need to have an opportunity to try it before it goes fully live. This will save our hard pressed planning officers time, hence save local taxpayers money while giving them access to information they need. I found it very easy to use. This service underscores our commitment to fostering community engagement and delivering efficient services."

We will continue to improve the facilities based on responses gathered from this "Beta test" version.

You can find the new service on our website.