Birmingham citizens to benefit

14 July 2008, 3:47pm

Birmingham citizens to benefit from major planning transformation

Birmingham City Council, supported by Service Birmingham, is to deliver a new e-Planning initiative, providing the city’s one million citizens with easier access to high quality planning information and guidance as part of a major transformation programme.

In partnership with Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, Birmingham City Council and Service Birmingham will radically improve planning and building control services throughout the city and promote engagement with all members of the community.

In a contract worth more than £1 million over three years, the new partnership will provide:

- a more transparent planning process through improved engagement with users of planning services and the wider community;

- fast and accurate responses to enquires, through enabling staff to provide instant feedback on compliance with planning policy and guidance;

- streamlined processes to enable the council to meet performance standards, share information with key agencies and deliver excellent customer service;

- self-service systems that allow citizens to track the progress of planning applications, submit responses, review decision notices and resolve queries without visiting the council;

- full mobile services, allowing planning and building control officers to spend more time in the community.

Clive Dutton, Birmingham City Council Director of Planning and Regeneration said: "We constantly strive to provide the very best possible Planning and Building Consultancy services. We believe that the partnership with Northgate Information Solutions will assist us to deliver innovative ways of working that are responsive to the needs of the citizens of Birmingham. Our vision is to deliver first class planning and building control services and create a high quality physical environment focussed on our contribution to achieving a 'global city with a local heart'."

Cllr Paul Tilsley, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council said today: “We are committed to transforming planning services so that citizens throughout Birmingham can have comprehensive access to up-to-date information of the highest quality. Sustainable transformation is at the heart of our vision for Birmingham, and our partnership with Northgate will radically improve services and make a real difference to people’s lives. e-Planning is a key element of our wider transformation programme to provide the local services that the public deserves.”

Russell Osborne, Managing Director of Land & Property at Northgate Public Services, said today: “Northgate is proud to be working with Birmingham City Council to transform planning services and ease complex planning and building control processes for staff and citizens. Increased transparency and better access to information will contribute to more efficient and effective processing of applications and radically improve the performance of the system as a whole. e-Planning is a major step forward in encouraging a dynamic and streamlined planning system that contributes to the development of healthy and sustainable communities.”

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