Digital Planning
In order to make the planning applications process smoother and more efficient we need to ensure the right data is available, in the right format. In this post the Data Design team explain how they are now working to develop new data standards and are keen to collaborate with the planning community to create specifications that work for everyone.
Planning documents often contain vast amounts of valuable information, but accessing and using this data can be challenging. Artificial intelligence offers a potentially promising solution to extract key information and insights, and this post talks about how the Digital Planning Programme is exploring the use of artificial intelligence to streamline the planning process.
Through Rounds 1-3 of the PropTech Innovation Fund, we have funded 65 pilots involving 47 different LPAs. This blog post outlines the top five barriers identified through our pilots and research. If these are addressed, we believe they will help enable the adoption of digital engagement tools at scale.
The DLUHC Digital Planning Programme is supporting further Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) through the latest funding round for digital services to improve planning. In this blog post, we announce allocation of funding for council-led initiatives advancing innovative digital planning services.
As we wrap up the year, it's time to look back through the 2023 highlights of DLUHC’s Digital Planning Programme.
As part of the wider DLUHC Digital Planning programme, Round 2 of the PropTech Innovation Fund was launched in March 2022 working with 36 LPA partners and 20 Property Technology (PropTech) companies to accelerate the adoption of digital tools and services in the planning process. Discover more about key insights from funded projects in this blog post.
Round 1 of the PropTech Innovation Fund funded 13 pioneering Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) across England to work with 8 Property Technology (PropTech) partners to use innovative digital tools to make the planning process more open and accessible. The projects aimed to boost public engagement, while gathering evidence about the barriers to allow local authorities to adopt digital tools at scale.
We’re pleased to announce 15 more council-led projects have been awarded a total of £3.2 million of funding through Round 3 of the PropTech Innovation Fund. 27 Local Planning Authority (LPAs) are involved in the pilots, some of which see multiple LPAs working in partnership.
DLUHC is funding 19 more councils to lead and take part in digital projects that will encourage quicker planning decisions and improve digital planning software.
DLUHC’s Housing and Planning Minister, Lucy Frazer, visited Buckinghamshire Council on the 26 January to learn more about Buckinghamshire’s experience of being part of the Open Digital Planning (ODP) project, demo new user-centred Digital Planning services and hear more about the council’s wider ideas for streamlining the planning system as part of the department’s Digital Planning Programme.
