Our planning resilience team has been working alongside Windsor and Maidenhead Council’s planning team to help maintain the high standards of planning service excellence for the community and visitors to the borough.
Due to a shortage of resource in the council’s planning department, four members of our planning resilience team worked seamlessly alongside the council’s existing planners to process 120 minor applications which included applications for a new admission and visitors centre at Windsor Castle, school extensions, housing developments, retail uses and agricultural buildings.
Like many authorities, the importance of efficiency and customer satisfaction is high on the agenda at Windsor and Maidenhead Council, so due to an unexpected influx of application demand our team also processed 115 householder applications to prevent any delay or backlogs while the inhouse team focussed on other pressing planning tasks.
Our approach
The range of planning resilience services we’ve provided to the council include:
- reviewing planning applications and supporting documents
- conducting site visits and erecting site notices within five days of receipt of applications
- reviewing national, local planning policy and neighbourhood plans
- being fully contactable by email and telephone by customers, members of public and political members to answer queries
- assessing consultee and third-party representations
- negotiations as part of the planning application process to secure amendments and added value
- producing delegated and committee recommendations.
With our flexible and blended service delivery model, we were able to provide the council with support on site and off site.
We conducted site visits and attended case review meetings with planning managers at the council, while completing the majority of background work back at our planning hub.
This background work mainly consisted of contacting agents/applicants and uploading completed reports and recommendations into the council’s back office system.
The impact
With Capita providing extra capacity, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead maintained a high level of service to its customers by reducing planning application delays from backlogs. Workload strains on the council’s planning teams were also reduced.
Our flexible planning resilience model meant the council was able to commission any additional resource or expertise they required to cope with workload demand no matter how small or complex.
01
Regulatory services
Our regulatory services team is helping local authorities – who don't have the capacity – to maintain efficiencies, reduce costs and protect their residents.
02
Planning services
Our planning service, designed for local authorities, deliver planning policy, development management and specialist support services. We give you immediate, on-demand access to our planning professionals.
03
Building control
We can manage all aspects of building control, freeing up your teams to deliver other core services to residents. Our solutions are flexible and can be switched on and off to meet demand.
