Council is pleased to announce it has been successful in applying for £50,000 funding as part of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) Digital Planning Improvement Fund.
The Digital Planning Improvement Fund aims to support Local Planning Authorities to start a digital planning improvement journey that begins with a digital planning maturity assessment.
This is followed by an action plan and access to training and peer support through the Open Digital Planning community, who are a group of Local Planning Authorities supported by the programme.
As part of the programme, Local Planning Authorities work to improve and publish data related to Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings, Tree Preservation Orders, Article 4 Directions on the Government’s Planning Data platform.
The Council will join the programme in February 2026 and the project will last for approximately 12 months.
Cllr Tony Venson, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Enforcement, said:
“This is great news for the Borough, joining the Open Digital Planning community will allow the Council to work towards upgrading and modernising its planning practices through innovative digital solutions.
“It will contribute to the achievement of the Council’s corporate objectives, with a push to modernise highlighted within the Council’s Corporate Plan.’’