APPEALS - Inquiry Reporters Unit
47. The Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit (SEIRU) website provides general information on the appeals process and access to relevant documentation. Appeal forms can be downloaded from the site, completed online and then posted to SEIRU. Explanatory notes that help guide people through the completion of the forms are also provided. It is good practice for planning authority homepages to provide a hyperlink to the SEIRU website, as shown in the model planning homepage (see Annex A).
48. SEIRU has developed a system that allows the progress of appeals to be monitored online and decision letters downloaded. It is considering what additional information could be posted on its website to help the citizen and agents, and also reduce the day-to-day demands by phone and post on casework staff within the Unit. The Unit's objective is to be able to receive appeals electronically and to maintain and share e-case files. As part of this work the systems that will be needed, and the related workflow, are being investigated. In addition, it is considering the means of delivering an online planning appeals search facility using the unique national addressing system that will be offered by DNA Scotland.