Describing the move as a significant milestone in its digital transformation programme, it said the service had been “thoroughly tested” with Barnet, Greenwich, Havering, Richmond upon Thames, and Bromley Councils.
The five authorities have been handling both householder appeals (fast-track cases) and section 78 (full planning) appeals through the system.
The Planning Inspectorate said it would be using a phased approach to roll out the service:
- Cohort 1: Two local planning authorities – Gloucestershire County Council and Gosport Borough Council – had joined the pilot.
- Cohort 2: It will increase the number of authorities joining towards the end of July.
- National rollout: All authorities in England will join the service by December 2025.
The Planning Inspectorate suggested that the new service offered several important improvements for local planning authorities:
- streamlined submission and management of appeals, “making the process more efficient”
- a user-friendly LPA dashboard for reviewing and monitoring cases, following GOV.UK design principles
- improved communication between all parties, reducing paper-based processes
- continuous improvement of the system based on user feedback
Further information including a Q&A can be found here.