Well done to our colleagues who run the Planning Portal, the national planning application service for England and Wales, who have been shortlisted for the UK Business Awards (UKBA) 2019. These prestigious awards recognise companies and individuals who exhibit excellent business performance, honouring professionals who are shaping the future of business.
In September 2018 Planning Portal released the Financial Transaction Service (FTS); a revolutionary new way of ensuring planning applications can be made to local planning authorities (LPAs) across England with total ease, whilst helping to eradicate difficult payment issues.
Prior to its launch, around 60 per cent of rejected applications were due to incorrect or missing payments, leading to delays in processing and extra work for all those involved. The FTS ensures this is no longer the case.
Reactions to the system have been extremely positive, as the FTS has created a simple and effective application process for LPAs, saving them a great deal of time, effort and resources, and for architects and the applicants themselves, who can now apply and pay all in one place, eradicating a huge amount of confusion and arising difficulties.
The FTS has been shortlisted by UKBA in the ‘Innovation of the Year’ category, which recognises businesses that have approached problems with creativity and a new perspective, including by applying and actioning comprehensive revolutions in the services they provide. The FTS’s innovative use of automation technology has helped to transform inefficient processes and to speed up the planning system for all.
Speaking about the news, Sarah Chilcott, Managing Director at the Planning Portal said:
“We’re delighted to have been shortlisted for our FTS, recognising the innovation it delivers and the positive impact that it’s having on the planning system. To have reached the finals against such a strong field is in itself a fantastic achievement and a pat on the back for sheer hard work put in by the team.
The awards take place on 8 November 2019 at Park Plaza Riverbank in London.
