Earlier this year, we reported how service on the City of Edinburgh Council’s online Planning and Building Standards portal was interrupted following a technical upgrade (Breaking news 30.6.16).
We reported further intermittent problems in July, August and September (Breaking news 29.8.16).
Yesterday, a Council Planning official announced that:
Due to a technical issue with our computer system a number of Planning Applications have been missed off the weekly lists over the last seven weeks.
I have attached the list of applications for your information.
If you wish to make comments or become a statutory consultee on any of these applications please contact the case officer immediately.
…
I would like to take the opportunity to apologise for this unfortunate situation.
As we understand it, the list of applications missing since 31 August numbers 255 across the whole city, 32 of which are in the Inverleith ward, 47 in the City Centre, and 14 in Leith Walk (see pdf at foot of page). The total includes treeworks, certificates of lawulness, and full/listed building consents for the same sites.
Among the missed applications were four of particular interest to readers in Spurtleshire (those marked with an * we have already picked up on and reported):
16/04537/PAN 5–7 Regent Road (Old Royal High School pre-application notification)*
16/04215/ADV 17 Logie Green Road (Lidl signage)
16/04263/FUL 5 Warriston Road (amended design for Warriston Cottage etc.)*
16/04575/FUL 23 Dunedin Street (proposed climbing centre)
It’s a situation which leaves appalled all those with an interest in the orderly function of Edinburgh’s Planning process. Online assessment of, and response to, planning applications is now the norm. It ought to work every time.
Harald Tobermann, former Vice Chair of the Leith Central Community Council, describes himself as ‘disappointed and flabbergasted’ by the development.
In an email to Paul Lawrence, CEC’s Executive Director of Place, he has highlighted the potentially grave knock-on effects of this for community councils.
Tobermann raises the following issues:
- What is the strict legal situation under Scottish Planning legislation? Could the planning applications in the list supplied proceed as normal, even if the computer error had not been uncovered?
- What assurances has Lawrence received from the IT supplier/s that that the ‘error’ goes back only 7 weeks? Are all planning applications in this period now included? Have any of the ‘missed’ planning applications been approved in the meantime?
- What recourse against CEC’s IT supplier/s is available? When will the relevant contractual clauses be triggered?
Tobermann requests CEC case officers (or better, CEC’s IT supplier/s) to notify community councils of new and generously extended deadlines for comments for each planning application, taking into account the sudden workload for volunteer councillors and recent CC elections (many CCs will not reconstitute until the end of November).
Remedial action
Councillor Nick Gardner (Leith Walk ward), who sits on the Development Management Subcommittee, understands that CEC Planning staff are indeed going through the cases that have been missed, and if any remedial action is required they will contact the relevant applicant to explain this.
If appropriate, they will adjust the period for public comment and notify the relevant community council accordingly. Further notice will also be provided on the Council’s online system for viewing and commenting on planning applications.
The need for leadership
By any standards, the current situation is an almighty Horlix. What makes it worse is that this and related IT problems have been unfolding in slow motion since at least June, with no-one on the administrative or technical sides seemingly able to intervene decisively.
Hopefully, Paul Lawrence, whom we heard praised so fulsomely last week, is the man for the job.
Got a view? Tell us at spurtle@hotmail.co.uk and @theSpurtle and Facebook
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Euan Leitch The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2013 PART 4 Regulation 22: The planning authority are to publish the list of applications kept in accordance with section 36A of the Act by means of the internet on their website and are to make the list of applications available for inspection at their principal office and at public libraries in their district.
Lorraine Moore Always issues with the planning department!
UPDATE 19:00: The following email was sent to community councillors earlier this evening.
Dear Community Councillor,
You may be aware that we having being having difficulties with our Planning Weekly List as a result of recent changes to our operating systems. This has resulted in certain applications appearing late and as a result has not allowed sufficient time for members of the public to make comment.
We have now identified all the applications where an extension of time for public comment is appropriate and are in the process of updating the dates on our systems accordingly. This exercise should be completed by Tuesday 25th October 2016 and we will arrange for a message to be placed on the online portal explaining that extensions of time for public comment have been provided.
I trust this is of assistance although should you have any particular concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the case officer.