If you seek planning permission to carry out works to your property and your application isn't decided within a set period, or you disagree with the decision from your local council, you have a right to appeal. That appeal is dealt with by the Planning Inspectorate, the body that administers all planning appeals for the Secretary of State in England and the National Assembly for Wales. The way in which the Planning Inspectorate delivers its service is changing. To meet with the Freedom of Information Act and the Government vision for 21st century, the Planning Inspectorate has co-ordinated the development and implementation of a web site for planning. The Planning Inspectorate's website "the Planning Portal" (www.planningportal.gov.uk) provides a one-stop shop for planning information and services, for England and Wales. The Planning Portal is a specialised unit offering the general public, planning professionals and Government users, the chance to submit planning applications, view local development plans and access the latest government policies/guidance. It includes links to hundreds of third-party organisations and resources, and also offers a free planning e-newsletter, which is sent to subscribers every week. Ultimately, the Planning Portal's goal is to become the first port of call for everyone involved. By the end of 2005 PCS (the Planning Casework Service) will have been rolled out via the Planning Portal to cover all documentation handled by the planning inspectorate. This on-line planning application service lets users submit applications electronically. To make it as user-friendly as possible, the service uses non-technical language and every question is supported by extensive help text to guide users through the planning terminology. The service also features automatic error checking to cut down on the number of incorrectly completed applications rejected by planning authorities. The website in its current form has some drawbacks, the major one being that not all local authorities are currently signed up to use it. Only four of our local authorities in the North-East are fully on-line, enabling electronic submission of applications (and attachments), as well as on-line payment. A further 11 local authorities provide a service whereby forms can be completed on-line, however the form cannot be submitted on-line. It needs to be printed out and posted to the local authority. Of our local authorities, five have development plans on-line and another four have website facilities in the pipeline. As more authorities make planning services available on-line, the service will continually improve. Christopher Stones is a planning technician in Ward Hadaway's planning team | 
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