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| This work was commissioned by the Scottish Office in 1998 to examine the arrangements being developed by local authorities to bring together development related local authority functions, with a view to improving the standard of service provided to those seeking the necessary consents for development. |
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| Main Findings |
- Local authorities in Scotland are increasingly aware of the importance of providing an efficient and effective planning and development service which is responsive to customer needs.
- However, there is considerable diversity in the way that local authorities deliver their planning and development service. There is no common one stop shop approach in terms of an administrative model which involves those departments concerned in the planning and development service. In practice arrangements reflect prevailing and historical circumstances in each authority.
- Organisational structures are varied and, as a result, development related functions are combined in a single service or split between divisions and locations. Other factors include the scale and geographic area of authorities, the extent of decentralised arrangements and departmental management practice.
- It is evident that some integration occurs in all authorities, with many implementing some of the elements of the one stop shops approach including new structures and procedures which break down inter-professional barriers and enhance cooperation working.
- The majority of Scottish councils have developed arrangements to improve the provision of initial information and advice about development consents, providing a more customer-focused service. Practice includes the creation of decentralised contact points to cater for general queries, telephone helplines to refer callers to the appropriate officers, computer based information services and specialised reception facilities to deal with development-related enquiries. Only a few councils operate separate information and advice arrangements for each development function.
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| Key Findings |
- Whatever the arrangements in place for providing initial information and advice to customers, it is clear that most authorities engage in inter-functional working, although it is difficult to ascertain the extent to which this co-operation extends beyond that required by the various legislative regimes. Most inter-functional co-operation is informal, with formal development teams being used in a minority of councils. Pre-application meetings, which are often held for major developments, most frequently involve planning and roads officials. Officials from other functions made a strong case for inclusion at this early stage rather than later in the process as often occurs at present. In most instances where development teams are formed to oversee the progress of a major development, local authorities identify a lead officer to act as a single point of contact. However, little or no training is given. Most joint enforcement action was undertaken on an occasional basis.
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- The research found that local authorities and users alike recognise the positive advantages to be gained from an integrated planning and development service, both in terms of efficiency gains and customer satisfaction. There appears to be a general awareness of the importance of providing a corporate or comprehensive approach to the decision making process across all the working relationships of the authorities, reducing confusion and uncertainty for the potential developer. Despite the positive response to the one stop shop concept, however, there is a powerful awareness that the disadvantages of establishing, managing and sustaining such a system should not be allowed to encourage delay in the existing system. Attention was drawn to the significance of start up and on-going costs, such as training and IT needs.
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- There was general agreement that the creation of a single development consent, while attractive on the surface, is unrealistic due to the differing needs and requirements of the legislation. This supports the findings of research undertaken by the Department of the Environment which concluded that a single consent procedure 'is not a practical possibility'. It was suggested that some streamlining might be considered, however, such as linking roads construction consent to either the planning consent or the building warrant.
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- At present authorities are working towards best value and are seeking to achieve set performance standards. Current practice tends to emphasise performance within functions or services and little attention is being given to cross-service performance. Indeed, at times, pursuit of performance indicators by individual departments can result in an overall disjointed service to the public. Suggested indicators included performance targets for all consents and the use of customer surveys and questionnaires.
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| Aims and Objectives |
| The purpose of the study was to examine the arrangements being developed by local authorities to bring together development related local authority functions, with a view to improving the standard of service provided to those seeking the necessary consents for development. |
| The specific aims of the research study were: |
- to determine the benefits for the user and the authority for pursuing an integrated service;
- to examine to what extent councils have established one stop shop arrangements for both initial and on-going advice and assistance to intending developers on planning and development related functions;
- to gather views from users and providers on the effectiveness of such one stop shops and how arrangements might be improved;
- to discuss specific problems and opportunities of one stop shop arrangements;
- to establish what councils are doing to assess the effectiveness of their one stop shop arrangements (particularly in terms of time taken to obtain approvals, customer satisfaction and value for money);
- to review the findings, and consider the implications for Scottish councils, of recent research in this field.
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| Methodology |
| The research study was based on three principal sources: a desk study of the appropriate academic and professional literature, a postal questionnaire survey of all unitary councils in Scotland; and case studies of a sample of unitary authorities, involving semi-structured interviews with the appropriate personnel and a telephone survey of a representative sample of users of the planning and development process. The following points may be made about the different elements of the methods deployed. |
- The desk study of the appropriate academic and professional literature and policy documentation identified the intellectual rationale for establishing an integrated provision of planning and development functions of local authorities, appropriate concepts and definitions, comparative experience elsewhere, such as recent practice in England, and considered where partial integration of local authority services had been attempted, such as those initiatives already associated with the decentralisation of local authorities in Scotland.
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- The purpose of the postal survey was to conduct an audit of existing, proposed or intended arrangements by the unitary Councils, and to determine their views on the perceived advantages and disadvantages of establishing an integrated approach to planning and development.
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- The case studies involved more detailed interviews to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to providing a partial or complete integration of planning and development services. The survey of users of the planning and development process included developers (eg volume house builders, smaller geographically focused house builders, commercial property construction companies) agents (eg planning consultants, architects and solicitors) and recent applicants for planning permission, in order to identify the case for, and form of, a 'one stop shop' approach to planning and development.
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| Recommendations Arising from the Research Findings |
- It is important that local authorities are as efficient, open and transparent as possible when processing development applications.
- In practice, it is evident that a distinction should be drawn between the needs of the different clients of the planning and development service.
- Where the provision of initial information and advice about development-related functions is combined or streamlined, resources and training are all important.
- It is vital that planning officers recognise the value of inviting representatives from other services to attend early pre-application meetings on major proposals.
- Councils should consider better co-ordination of enforcement visits and information (for example, as between planning, building control and environmental health).
- Consideration should be given to improving co-ordination between arrangements for planning permission and listed building/conservation area consents.
- Structure and local plans are corporate documents and it is therefore vital that the non-planning functions make a full contribution to their preparation. Development briefs, although non-statutory, can be useful in indicating to developers the expectations of the council in terms of specific sites.
- Consideration should be given to the idea of linking planning permission and roads construction consent.
- Councils should consider the use of IT systems which are compatible across functions, e.g. between planning and building control.
- There is a need to enhance cross-functional understanding and co-operation. Councils should consider the need to organise joint training of staff.
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| "One Stop Shop Arrangements for Development Related Local Authority Functions", the research report summarised in this Research Findings, is available priced £5.00. Cheques should be made payable to The Stationery Office and addressed to: |
The Stationery Office Bookshop, 71 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH3 9AZ
Telephone: 0131-228 4181, or Fax: 0131-622 7017
The report can also be ordered online from:www.thestationeryoffice.co.uk |
| This Research Findings may be photocopied, or further copies obtained from: |
The Scottish Office Central Research Unit
2J
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
Telephone: 0131-244 7560 |