Feedback from our Planning Applications on the Web consultation

Comments received

Our response

1. We use the online planning pages frequently, and there is little we can think of, to alter. It seems appropriate, and simpler, to use the web for a guide to plans and diagrams etc, but really accurate measurements etc need to be taken from original plans. In our case there are very few really contentious planning applications, so the level of detail on the web, plus having the actual plans via the weekly Courier, are quite sufficient. Similarly if an application is contentious and we need to circulate round the village again the level of detail on the web is quite sufficient until detailed information using accurate paper plans is discussed at a meeting. Read more about this comment ...

2. Your site is very good, easy to use and there seems little point in messing with it's functionality. The addition of planning applications going back further in time should be the next step, in my view, followed by the addition of maps. Thumbnail views of pictures might be a useful tweak if easily done, but thumbnails of text documents would be to small to see what the document was about. That's about it really.

3. One problem I have encountered is that when viewing documents, the TIFF format will not always work on all computers (not got the right software presumably) and the alternative only views and prints half a page (the right had side is cut off). Would it be possible for the 'normal' images to be properly centred so the whole page is visible. Many thanks.

4.

• Individual plans: add brief description to improve searching through them, e.g indicate which are maps, and what scales, which are elevations.
• Parish: excellent idea to be able to search by parish.
• Allow more space for comment (and indeed here!).
• Omit need to type in WD for each application.

• It is intended that more information about plans, e.g. site plan, elevations, floor plan etc will be included on the new site.
• The comment box on this site and the old/new site is not restricted in size and, as you type, scroll bars will appear.
• The current site allows you to enter the full application number or just part of it, e.g. 06/0001. It is not clear at present if this will be the same for the new site.

5. I find the site and information generally good. However: 1 I would like to be able to simply print forms, letters and plans, and if they could be presented in a format that allowed that it would be very helpful. 2 It would also be of help if we could easily view the previous history of applications for that site, all together, without having to sift through every year's information. 3 When submitting comments on a proposal there is nothing at the time to indicate that it has reached you, the route back to the application is not easy. However overall I am a happy user!

• The new site will allow attachments to be added to comments sent in by users.
• We are looking to also can the history sheet and make this available on the site. Please note that, in the meantime, we have an online mapping system which holds details of planning applications back to 1993.
• Currently, when comments are received they are acknowledged by e-mail. The new system will automatically e-mail back a response.

6. OK but I think the format Rother District Council has is much better. In particular you are able to see letters of objection as they arrive at the council, also on the Wealden site once a decision has been granted you can no longer view the plans, committee decisions, letters of objection and drawings. On Rother you can also search for past committee reports. It would also be good to be able to print copies of past planning decisions.

• We are currently looking into the legal aspects of putting letters of objection on the website
• The new website will retain plans once a decision is issued. The current and new website does/will retain committee reports.
• Decision notices can be printed from the current website although all images should be printed using the Tiff image

7. I agree with many of the possible improvements mentioned. The e-mail alerts would be useful. Particularly, the ability to view as .pdf files would be advantageous, particularly if one wants to print documents out. At the moment this is not easy. Also one has to page through many pages that are too large for the screen and which contain no useful content.

We appreciate that printing appears to be an area of difficulty for users of the current system and hence the reason why we are including pdf images as this should remove the current difficulties experienced.

8. It would be quicker if the older applications e,g those over 3 years old, were taken off the main listing.

9. It would appear that the site is not kept up to date. The two most recent weekly lists aren't available, and the one before that has only two application details. When I enter an address only of an application, the details are unavailable.