Northgate-is - News Item 783

Birmingham citizens to benefit from major planning transformation

Birmingham citizens to benefit from major planning transformation

Birmingham City Council, supported by Service Birmingham, is to deliver a new e-Planning initiative, providing the city’s one million citizens with easier access to high quality planning information and guidance as part of a major transformation programme.

In partnership with Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, Birmingham City Council and Service Birmingham will radically improve planning and building control services throughout the city and promote engagement with all members of the community.

In a contract worth more than £1 million over three years, the new partnership will provide:

- a more transparent planning process through improved engagement with users of planning services and the wider community;
- fast and accurate responses to enquires, through enabling staff to provide instant feedback on compliance with planning policy and guidance;
- streamlined processes to enable the council to meet performance standards, share information with key agencies and deliver excellent customer service;
- self-service systems that allow citizens to track the progress of planning applications, submit responses, review decision notices and resolve queries without visiting the council;
- full mobile services, allowing planning and building control officers to spend more time in the community.

Clive Dutton, Birmingham City Council Director of Planning and Regeneration said: "We constantly strive to provide the very best possible Planning and Building Consultancy services.  We believe that the partnership with Northgate Information Solutions will assist us to deliver innovative ways of working that are responsive to the needs of the citizens of Birmingham.  Our vision is to deliver first class planning and building control services and create a high quality physical environment focussed on our contribution to achieving a 'global city with a local heart'."

Cllr Paul Tilsley, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council said today: “We are committed to transforming planning services so that citizens throughout Birmingham can have comprehensive access to up-to-date information of the highest quality. Sustainable transformation is at the heart of our vision for Birmingham, and our partnership with Northgate will radically improve services and make a real difference to people’s lives. e-Planning is a key element of our wider transformation programme to provide the local services that the public deserves.”

Russell Osborne, Managing Director of Land & Property at Northgate Public Services, said today: “Northgate is proud to be working with Birmingham City Council to transform planning services and ease complex planning and building control processes for staff and citizens. Increased transparency and better access to information will contribute to more efficient and effective processing of applications and radically improve the performance of the system as a whole. e-Planning is a major step forward in encouraging a dynamic and streamlined planning system that contributes to the development of healthy and sustainable communities.”
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For more information:
Fellows’ Associates:
Kathy Sutton          020 7849 3403; 07966 890401; ksutton@fellowsassociates.com
Kuntal Biswas       020 7849 3347; 07930 566291; kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com

Service Birmingham press office: +44 (0)870 2400 488

Notes to Editors:

1. Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in Europe serving over one million citizens.

2. Service Birmingham is a strategic partnership between Birmingham City Council and Capita which will support a transformation in the way the Council works; improving services and contributing to its efficiency agenda. The Council intends to achieve efficiency savings worth £1 billion by 2016. This strategic partnership forms part of the Council's objective to find better and more innovative ways of delivering services for the benefit of employees and citizens.  The principle of this joint venture focuses on the provision of cost effective, sector leading, ICT services and in supporting the Council in achieving its business transformation objectives.

3. Northgate Information Solutions is a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets. Northgate’s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology, and to share in the economic and social benefits that this brings.

4. In the UK, the company works with four out of five local authorities and every police force. Northgate supports public service transformation through sustainable performance partnerships. Its services are used in the administration of more than £12 billion of revenues and benefits; in electoral administration systems covering 18 million people; to support the national system for reporting police performance; and in the management of over three million local authority and housing association properties worldwide. Founded in 1969, the company has over 6,500 employees.