Planning applications: Supporting development management teams

Are you receiving the full benefits of integration with the Planning Portal application service via your back-office 1App connector? Below is a list of the functions it should provide, but if not we’d like to hear from you¹.

Retrieval of application form information

Each application form has a scenario number that identifies the type of application and whether it’s a combined application type (i.e. full planning permission and listed building consent). This ensures the correct types are created in the back-office.

All application information provided on the forms is accurately retrieved and populates the correct fields in the back-office. The amount of information retrieved by the back-office suppliers varies but everything entered on the forms is available to be collected. Some suppliers capture core information as specified by the LPA, while others capture everything.

Plans and supporting documentation

Plans and supporting documentation are successfully retrieved from the Planning Portal with the application form data via the connector.

Combined applications

Combined application forms are correctly received and create two application references in the back-office for parallel processing and accurate reporting of application statistics on PS1/PS2 returns.

Amended applications

Amendments to applications have specific flags within the connector data to identify changes made.

Note that when an applicant selects the amendment option it requires them to answer one of the following questions about their application:

1. Amended supporting documents only – with no changes to the fee
2. A more substantial re-submission also involving changes to the application form, and possibly a revised fee.

Both of these options carry a flag status that is communicated to the back-office to confirm which option was selected. The PDF application summary also details the changes made for reference to the LPA.

Formatting of information

Formatting of the application information is correct e.g. line spacing, word wrap, carriage return etc…

Please note that the Portal communicates the information input by the applicant in the format that they entered it. This could be all upper case or lower case, however, we always advocate sentence case at agent training events and in the form completion guidance.

1. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/meet-the-team/business-development-team