Dorset Council is reaching a key point in a project to transform their planning system.
Over the last year they have been working to pull together the six former district, borough and county councils planning functions together into one team using one planning management software version. They have also used an outside agency to clear the validation backlog.
Transferring the data onto the new system will be phased. The first phase is for the former North Dorset area. This will happen from 24 September. Next will be former West Dorset and Weymouth and Portland, then former East Dorset and Purbeck and finally the former Dorset County Council data.
During the time of transfer there will be no access to the information online and no ability to add comments. Any consultation deadlines that will fall during this time will automatically be extended by four days to compensate.
Once the transfer has taken place information on planning application for the former North Dorset area will still be accessed as before using the relevant area button on the planning web page. The new system has a similar look to the current East Dorset pages. Comments can be entered onto each application online and be seen immediately.
When all the information has been transferred, early in 2021, the benefits will include more efficient processing of applications, and consistent information available to customers. There will also be further work to review all our processes, as part of the planning transformation project.
Cllr David Walsh, Dorset Council Portfolio holder for planning, said:
“This is a huge achievement for the council. By bringing all planning services into one team and one system, we can make sure that there is a consistency of approach across Dorset.
“But please bear with us, this is a huge task and we will continue to improve our services.”
Find more information about planning services
Update 02/10 – The North Dorset planning pages are now available.
Pleased to see the transformation of the Planning Service proceeding apace!
Very inconvenient as I need to check some planning applications in Langton Long and as you have not sent a paper application I cannot do this and we have until the 8th of October to reply !
Perhaps you can let me know how long this will take to rectify?
Hi Ada – The North Dorset planning pages are now available. This is a very large project with a massive amount of data to transfer. We are one of the first local authorities to attempt such a big transference of planning information. This is the first phase of our convergence plan with other areas being transferred in the next few months. We can then look at making the planning service easier to use and more customer friendly with all functions using the same system.
We visited this year and had the best family holiday. We’ve struggled to book up in previous years as you have to get in so quick. I would love it if the campsite was allowed to open for 8 weeks! Best campsite we’ve ever been to
To whom it may concern,
With regards to Knoll Farm campsite:
I have been going there on and off for the last ten years and I love it. Being a musician who has played for local festivals I fully respect and support the work that goes into running a well organised campsite. The Knoll Farm campsite has the highest standards.
I have played seven consecutive Tonefests in Dorset and I have played The Purbeck Valkey Folk festival a couple of times amongst others and have been delighted to play for The Knoll Farm campsite a few times with great artists like Mr G The Gentleman Rhymer and The Mother Ukers, playing their scheduled artist slots and bringing the love too. I find the organisers and all the campers to be so considerate to each other as it is a family gathering. It is always a beautiful community that comes together. The land is always looked after with the utmost care and there is never any litter. Noise is always kept down at night on the sight so children can sleep and families can be happy campers.
To conclude I believe this campsite is such a nesscesity as it provides such joy and respite for hard working families and it is for many the highlight of their year. I for one am wishing that you keep this campsite going as a very great time is always had by all and it helps local people to get to know each other and helps to promote well being and healthy living. Also for me coming from London as a musician it is great to feel the kindness of the people and I find it really does promote the natural beauty of the area. It makes me feel very happy to always have such a lovely welcome each time I play for the Knoll Farm campsite. It is indeed always such a very lovely experience had by all.
Long May it continue.
How do I object to a planning application then? Specifically 3/20/1280/OUT?
Regards
Eddie Jarvis
Eddie – if you visit https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/planning-buildings-land/planning/planning-application-search-and-comment.aspx click on the area the application is in you can search for details of the application and submit your comments.
I am going round in circles trying to find application WP/20/00421/FUL.
I have received a letter about this application . I’m directed to the page informing me of the changes, I click on ‘here’ it directs me to this page. I click on link to Weymouth and Portland planning section and I’m back where I stated!!!!
This link is underneath a heading saying “Local Land Searches for the former West Dorset area will not be accepted or processed until early December”.. but the information in the link refers to the Planning System not the search system!!??
There is then an entry saying searches are taking up to 30 working days!! Which is it? I already fell foul of the search delays created before the first lockdien in the former Wey & Port BC area due to an “IT glitch” when I sold my property, now this.
Does this really mean anybody moving house in West Dorset will have their searches delayed until early December (plus time spent working thro the inevitable back log due to Stamp Duty Holiday and a long delay). Or is the header wrong? As the content does seem to refer to Planning Systems, not land searches What is going on please?and which systems are affected
This is not acceptable unless you keep a register of email addresses and notify residents when the information becomes available again. Rate payers may miss the opportunity to comment on a planning application.
Hi Graham – The North Dorset planning pages are now available. This is a very large project with a massive amount of data to transfer. We are one of the first local authorities to attempt such a big transference of planning information. This is the first phase of our convergence plan with other areas being transferred in the next few months. We can then look at making the planning service easier to use and more customer friendly with all functions using the same system. If you have contacted our team then we will be contacting you today.
wouldn’t it be best to leave big projects and get the systems in place properly and then address each of them fully and in good time rather than flooding information in with very tight (impossible) deadlines? It will only mean that there will be a challenge on proper process not being followed and tax payers and residents being disenfranchised from having their say. In the meantime regular applications are slow to be considered.
Hi PJ McConnell – We are continuing our business as usual throughout this process with mainly short downtime to ensure all information has been transferred and is behaving in the way we need it to. Performance wise between April and September this year we received 1,582 planning applications and we decided a total of 1,685 (this is a rolling total) so as you can see we are keeping up with the work.
Land Searches for West Dorset have been suspended. How is that “continuing business as usual” please
Your system states 25 working days, I’m now on 38 working days, this is not acceptable, most organisations have a contingency plan to avoid business interruption! Can you advise when I am like lying to get my searches back when they were submitted 30th October? I was told 11/12 but now there is no update available.
Have tried calling you today unsuccessfully. Am aware this is a very large project but it still appears from a look at a few planning applications that not many Consultee comments have been transfered yet so it is disingenuous to say that the ND planning pages are now available. Without the Consultee comments the applications only convey half the information. The residents of North Dorset and North Dorset CPRE need this information, so we would like to know when the comments will all be transfered. It would be helpful to know too where to find the weekly summary of new validations and planning decisions on the planning portal, and when this will be implemented if not already there. Thank you.
Hi Rupert – All information is being transferred to the new system. We are aware the this change has meant that you have lost functionality for a short period. Once all our areas have been brought across to the new system we will be transforming the service to become more customer friendly. Thanks you for bearing with us.
Does this mean we have lost All of the Tracked Applications?
Poor Comms to Town & Parishes
Hi Graham – We are aware the this change has meant that you have lost functionality for a short period. Once all our areas have been brought across to the new system we will be transforming the service to become more customer friendly. Thanks you for bearing with us.
It seems impossible to find the application I need to look at simply by inputting the address of the application site. It is NOT customer friendly. When are you going to get it sorted? Why make a change before you have a fully functional new system?
The previous system worked perfectly.
Marks 0 out of 10
Hi christopher – We are aware the this change has meant that you have lost functionality for a short period. Once all our areas have been brought across to the new system we will be transforming the service to become more customer friendly. Thanks you for bearing with us.
What do you mean by ” a short period ” ? Several weeks or several years?
Why could the search by address not be functional before all areas have been brought across to the new system?
Having been used to the North Dorset planning portal, as a Parish Councillor, there are a few suggestions and one issue I would like to make regarding the new website:
1. **ISSUE** We cannot see any of the consultee comments that have been made on the previous applications that have been migrated. This is a gross error which needs to be fixed ASAP. It impacts our ability to respond to public questions regarding previous applications to which we have commented.
2. The advanced search options are crude and unfriendly. You can only search on one application type at any time, e.g. Outline or Full etc. This should be a multiple selection, not a single dropdown choice. Actually, the same could be said for all the dropdown choice fields. This would make life a lot easier, saving users the onerous task of carrying out separate searches.
3. Again, in the advanced search options, the list of Parishes is a dropdown choice, but the list is not in alphabetical order. I see no logical reason for this. I am aware that, on a web browser, by typing in the first few characters in the field, you can narrow down the choice until the desired parish is displayed. Whilst this may save a fair bit of scrolling when using a web browser, on a mobile app (in my case Safari), there is no choice but to scroll and as the list is not alphabetical, it is a pain to try to locate the desired choice. Please amend the list so that it appears in alphabetical order.
4. The old North Dorset site gave the opportunity to follow an application whereby, in providing your email address, any updates to the application would result in you being sent an email notification. This is absent from the new website and is a backward step. I suggest this should be reintroduced as an enhancement.
Many thanks.
Hi Rob – We are aware the this change has meant that you have lost functionality for a short period. Once all our areas have been brought across to the new system we will be transforming the service to become more customer friendly. Thanks you for bearing with us.
Hi Fiona,
The project has an end date of ‘early 2021’. Can you be more precise, say, at least Q1 or Q2 or perhaps even a month?
Also, can you confirm whether or not the comments you have received thus far regarding the shortcomings of the new site will be worked upon in parallel with the migration work? I wouldn’t want to see that having migrated all the data that you then begin to work on issues and enhancements, thereby adding months to the final release.
Thanks
Hi Rob – this a large and complex project pullng six different systems into one. Every phase has it’s own challenges. So we can only say early next year because of this. Once we have all the convergence we will be transforming the system, bringing back functionality and working with customers to make sure it works for them. Please bear with us.
On the previous system, I was able to log in and see all relevant applications for Spetisbury Parish Council. Can I still do this? There does not seem to be a log in option.
Hi Steve – can you contact the team and they will talk you through the filters.
Clearly you timed this computer changes at the wrong time when market is very busy with people buying houses before duty stamp goes up.
I am buying a house in Poundbury and risk loosing my buyers which are ready to sign, spend Xmas surrounded by boxes and loosing the will to live, imprisoned by corona. My sellers are are transferring their mortgage to buy a new property in Dorset so looks like we are doomed.
Is anything that can be done?
Yours sincerely
I am in the same position but buying not selling. The latest update was West Dorset Searches would recommence in early December, but the notice on Dorset for you hasn’t changed. Any update on West Dorset Property Searches please Dorset Council. Madness to suspend this service during a stamp duty holiday
Is a map display of planning applications no longer going to be available?
This was always a very useful tool for finding historic applications and locating information on new applications when details were not known.
Hi – this functionality will return.
I cannot believe I am having to point out another glaring issue with this new site. I have now discovered that not only can we not see past comments on old applications, we cannot see current comments on current applications unless they have actually been completed in the online form. If an individual has commented – presumably via email, or possibly letter – the site logs the fact that a comment has been made, and if you then attempt to download that comment it very helpfully tells you that a file has been uploaded and even more helpfully tells you the name of the file BUT DOESN’T LET YOU VIEW IT (sorry about the shouting).
Honestly, I am finding this site infuriating. You need to stop porting other district areas onto this platform and FIX it now.
Please reply by stating what the development team are actually doing (if anything) to rectify this issue and the others I have highlighted in the past. Do not fob me off with your standard reply.
Rob Cullender
Marnhull Parish Council
I have just moved to Shaftesbury in retirement accommodation, situation very nice, but so much noise from a regular thumping sound all day, are builders to blame?
I don’t particularly want to download different files in order to be able to view plans before I can pass comments back for consideration to our TC Committee. Does this new system not just offer the functionality to just view? The old system was far from perfect but this is just painful.
I have been trying to see the out come of planning application since September, the page seems not to be updated since lord know when. The decision was supposed to be made in August 2020 but still nothing on the page.
I have read earlier message and the Council reply that the pages have been updated, this is not the case on the North Dorset planning applications!
How are people to keep up with what’s going on in the area if the council done have better and clearer pages to find out the information, because there is no point in trying to call you never get the department you need.
Maureen – if you have the details of the application I can find out what is happening.
You say that the map search function will return, can you advise when this will be?
Thank you
Hi Ann – once we have moved all former councils areas over to the new system we can then work on the functionality. We are hopeful that we can start that this spring.
Im unable to find any comments on planning application WP/20/00911/FUL. Please help.
Hi Richard – I can see your comments as a public comment. It is the only one so far.Fiona
I have just used this new service (West Dorset). I have to say that Document Viewing on planning application is certainly not ‘more customer friendly’.
Whereas previously one was able to easily ‘View’ a document without needing to download it, this appears not to be possible with the new system. This makes the viewing of multiple documents on any given planning application, a much slower and more cumbersome process! Is this change permanent? If so it is a retrograde step and not an improvement.
Hi Mr Cunningham, The first part of this job is to get all the information onto one system. To do this we have had to go to transfer to a simple form of the platform. Once this has been completed, later this year, We will then look to transform the offer to something that works for our customers. So please bear with us, this is a complex project and we are already seeing internal benefits on the transferred information. The external benefits will come. Fiona
So apparently a building has had planning approval right next to me and there is no way I can now find the application and even though I made a representation about it I have received zero correspondence. Is this a new way of sneaking planning through without public knowledge?
Hi Michelle – the system is up and running so you should have been able to get the information. Can you email me details and I can look into it for you? my email is fiona.e.king@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk Thanks Fiona
Hi, is there any update on the map search facility? It is really frustrating as the word search by place name is very unhelpful.
Hi Ann, We are currently working on the data to transfer the fifth former council data. Once the convergence is complete and all the information is in one place we can then look at the functionality for customers. Bear with us. Fiona
Please would you provide an update on progress implementing the new system?
Thanks, Ann
Hi Ann – We are all working on one system now. We are working on documents and files to make sure they are in the best condition they can be. We are currently preparing for the transformation work which will look at our processes and how we can make them work better for our customers. Fiona
In the advanced search facility the drop-down list of parishes is not in alphabetical order. Presumably this is a legacy from merging the old systems together. It’s fairly confusing for someone who doesn’t realise what’s going on.
Hi Steve, Thanks for your feedback – you are right it is a legacy thing. We are working through the look, feel and functionality of the planning web pages to make them much more user friendly. Fiona