New online planning system approved for Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority is set to introduce a new online planning database following concerns over limitations with its current system.

The proposal was approved at a meeting on September 23, with the new system potentially costing up to £150,000 over the next four years.

The authority has used its existing planning database since 2018 and says it has generally served its purpose. However, problems have emerged including delays in resolving technical issues, data corruption, mapping limitations and difficulties logging into the system.

Over the past year, the authority has been exploring alternatives and looking at systems being adopted by other national parks and local planning authorities.

A replacement offering similar services alongside improved reporting is expected to cost around £120,000 to £127,000 in transfer and running costs over four years.

Several additional features are also being considered, including a dedicated Local Land Registry module, the ability to submit pre-application enquiries online and a public tool allowing users to measure plans themselves.

Depending on the system and additional features chosen, annual costs are estimated at between £18,600 and £33,000. The existing system costs around £25,000 a year.

Initial costs associated with setting up and transferring to the new system could range from £21,000 to £53,000.

The report said any additional expenditure “should be outweighed by improved efficiencies not only within the planning team but also for the IT team”.

It added: “A new system should release members of the planning from heavy manual procedures to providing improved statistical monitoring of performance for individual officers and a better public facing provision with options for members of the public to measure plans online themselves more easily and submit online pre-application submissions directly.”

The final system and combination of features have yet to be confirmed.

Photo: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park