A review jointly commissioned by Communities and Local Government and Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Departments has come forward with 17 recommendations to overhaul and simplify the national planning framework.

The report singles out St Helens as an area of best practice for its new on-line facility. In May St Helens Council became the first council in the country to introduce an on-line household application fast track scheme to speed up the planning process.

Residents can log on to the Council web site to see if their proposal for an extension to their house needs planning permission. The website allows people to input a number of alternative enquiries for different sizes of conservatory or extension without having to write in to the council each time they had a different query. The jargon free internet access therefore speeds up the process while offering consistent information.
The report says: "The experience of St Helens Council in piloting this proposal has been positive. It has resulted in an increase in applications made online, and an improved quality of applications, leading to faster decisions times, averaging five weeks and one day for schemes submitted by accredited agents.

"Accredited agents have also benefited from an increased volume of work. We understand that a number of Councils have contacted St Helens with a view to developing their own schemes.

"Clearly it is early days for the St Helens' scheme. In addition, from our discussions with stakeholders and the officers of St Helens Council, there is a clear view that this approach is best suited to small-scale applications – particularly householder applications – where agents tend to be based locally, and are very familiar with the precise requirements and policies of the council for the forms of development being proposed."