Agenda item

(Director of Planning and Economic Development) To receive a presentation regarding the transmission of electronic planning information to Town and Parish Councils.

The Service Business Manager, Peter Millward presented a report regarding the transmission of electronic planning information to Town and Parish Councils and the difficulties being experienced by Planning and Economic Development in printing and distributing paper copies of plans and documents received electronically. From the 1 October 2014, the District Council would no longer routinely print and distribute electronic planning applications to Parish/Town Councils. A budget of £4,000 had been set a side to assist the Parish/Town Councils, so that they could view the electronic applications at their meetings, with the continuation of paper applications being distributed as normal.

The Service Business Manager advised that there was an indication that electronic planning applications would increase in 2014-15 to over 60% and with the Planning Portal promoting the Smarter Planning Initiative to encourage local authorities, planning professionals and their agents to move towards paperless planning, there would be further costs involved if the District Council continued to supply paper copies of the electronic plans. He also advised that there would be a request to improve the quality of applications submitted and that Planning Officers may reject applications that were substandard.

The committee felt that training for Clerks and users would be useful and there were concerns over the broadband signal in rural areas. The Service Business Manager advised that a training programme for users could be provided and the Parish/Town councils could visit the District Council for training on i planning website.

The clerk from Loughton Town Council, Enid Walsh advised that they had been chosen along with Ongar Town Council to pilot the scheme due to the amount of applications they receive weekly. The problems that occurred were with the quality of the applications and how they were viewed on the website. The Service Business Manager advised that he would take back the comments, to the Assistant Director of Planning and the i planning user group.

Resolved:

1. That the current ratio of electronic planning applications received by Epping Forest District Council was over 40% (as compared to the national average of 75%). It was expected that the percentage of electronic applications would increase in 2014 - 2015 to over 60%. This means that the costs of copying, printing and distributing of paper copies of electronic planning applications received by Epping Forest District Council was no longer sustainable be noted;

2. That from 1^st October 2014 no further paper copies of plans received   electronically would be able to be distributed to Parish/Town Councils be noted;

3. That Planning and Economic Development intend to fund the provision of a limited amount of small projectors. This was to assist the smaller Parish Councils to support them to be able to present Planning Applications electronically and was subject to a maximum value of £4 000 be noted; and 

4. That any equipment purchased for Parish Councils would form a grant to the Parish Councils concerned and that specifically Epping Forest District Council would not be responsible for the maintenance and/or replacement of any equipment provided. In some cases due to limited funding available, Planning and Economic Development may ask some Parish Councils to share projector equipment be noted.