The Planning Portal is used to help streamline the planning process and make it faster and easier to apply for planning permission. Nearly 60% of all planning applications in England and Wales are now submitted electronically via the Planning Portal, the Government said.
The Planning Portal, part of the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), was created to increase the proportion of planning applications that are made online. The website also offers planning and building regulations information, advice and services to the public, planning-related professionals and government.
"We are streamlining the planning system, cutting bureaucracy and simplifying the rules to make the whole planning process much more accessible and efficient for both applicants and councils. An important part of this is ensuring we have a swift, robust application process for all people to use easily," said Bob Neill, Communities Minister.
Applicants save a minimum of £120 per application by submitting online. Savings are many times more for larger or more complex application, according to professional services firm KPMG. The increase in online applications has also contributed to reducing the carbon footprint of the planning process, by cutting out more than 8,000 tonnes of Co2 from the 32 million pieces of paper that have been saved.
