Lambeth’s Digital Planning Seriously Boosts Business Efficiency
Lambeth Council is making it quicker and easier for businesses and residents to navigate the planning process with a new digital system designed to cut delays, improve accuracy, and reduce costly resubmissions.
Applying for planning permission was often complex and time-consuming for years, requiring businesses and residents to navigate lengthy paper forms and unclear requirements. Many applications were rejected due to minor errors, forcing applicants – whether a local newsagent wanting to install a new shopfront, a coffee shop applying for outdoor seating, or a late-night venue seeking extended hours – to start over, leading to unnecessary costs and delays.
This process has been transformed thanks to Lambeth’s ambitious embrace of digital technology. Applications submitted through the new system are 50% more likely to be accepted as valid, helping businesses and residents get it right the first time. The result? Less red tape, faster decisions, and more support for local enterprises to grow and thrive.
Cllr Danny Adilypour, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, Investment, and New Homes, said:
- The planning system can be difficult and hard to understand creating frustration for people. We have been working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and several other councils in a partnership called 'Open Digital Planning' to tackle the issue and speed up the process. Supporting development, the building of new homes and generating growth are vitally important for Lambeth and the wider economy as we look to tackle the housing crisis, create opportunities for our residents and rebuild public services.”
As part of this commitment, Lambeth Council recently hosted a showcase at Sustainable Ventures in Waterloo, bringing together leading industry voices to explore how digital solutions can transform public sector planning. Speakers included Alastair Parvin, co-founder of Open Systems Lab, and Matt Wood-Hill from MHCLG.
At the heart of this transformation is PlanX, a smart digital tool guiding applicants through the planning process. Businesses and residents also stand to benefit from BOPS, which streamlines back-office processes to speed up decisions, and the upcoming Digital Planning Register, designed to make planning information more transparent and accessible to the community.
These innovations support Lambeth’s 2030 Plan and upcoming Growth Plan, which prioritises making services more efficient and accessible through technology. By leading the way in digital planning, Lambeth is not just improving the system – it’s helping local businesses expand, innovate, and succeed.