APAS Planning Software Annual Fee 2023-24

OPDC is the statutory local planning authority for its administrative area and is responsible for validating, publicising, consulting on, assessing and determining planning applications in accordance with the requirements of relevant legislation, principally the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, and the procedures set out in the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015. These include specific requirements in relation to maintaining a public register of planning applications, publicising applications for planning permission and undertaking consultation.

All local planning authorities use specialist software to manage the process of receiving, validating, consulting, reporting and determining planning applications and other development management functions including requests for preapplication advice, appeals, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)screening and scoping requests and enforcement cases. 

Since its inception in 2015, the OPDC has used ‘APAS’ software, supplied by Agile Applications (formerly Swift Data Pro). This product supports all functions of a local planning authority, including importing planning applications from the Planning Portal (via the 1APP connector), managing the process of receiving, validating, consulting, reporting and determining planning applications, and facilitating web access to planning applications and the statutory register.

Several previous decisions are relevant. GLA DD1313 authorised the procurement of the APAS software in 2015 and permitted a total spend of up to £135,000 over a period of 5 years. OPDC DD132 authorised the continued provision and maintenance of the APAS software for the financial year 2020/21 and DD141 authorised an upgrade of the system and the continued provision and maintenance of the APAS software for a further period of two years (2021/22 and 2022/23). Total expenditure to date has been £112,956.

DD141 identified an intention to carry out a new competitive procurement process in early 2023, but this has not been – and is not proposed to be – carried out in the near future. The upgrade approved under DD141 was completed in 2022 and there is an ongoing business need for the software, which is required in order to fulfil OPDC’s statutory functions as the local planning authority. A change in provider – which would involve a significant amount of officer time and would likely incur substantial set-up costs – is not justified at the present time and would not be prudent from a value for money perspective. This will, however, be kept under review.

The proposal represents the continuation of the contract with Agile Applications to provide and maintain the APAS software in 2023/24, in order that OPDC is able to continue to carry out its statutory functions as a local planning authority.

There are two key objectives:

• To ensure the continuation of the specialist software to manage the process of receiving, validating, consulting, reporting on and determining planning applications and other development management functions including requests for pre-application advice, appeals, EIA screening and scoping requests and enforcement cases; and
• To ensure continued access to the planning register by members of the public.

The expected outcomes are:

• Effective and efficient handling of planning applications;
• Ensuring appropriate access to information to facilitate effective public engagement and participation in the planning process in accordance with OPDC’s Statement of Community Involvement.

This decision supports timely management of planning applications, which is an important part of delivering the Mayor’s vision for Old Oak and achieving targets for new homes and jobs.

This decision also supports access to information, inclusion and transparency, by enabling members of the public to engage in the planning process and gain access to planning documents and decisions.

The OPDC Head of Planning – Development Management is responsible for managing the contract and ensuring provision of the services. The Planning Support Officer is the day to day contact with Agile and is responsible for reporting any issues to the Head of Planning – Development Management.

Risks and issues

If the development management software system is not renewed, it will severely compromise the OPDC’s ability to function efficiently and to meet its statutory obligations as a local planning authority. This could result in:

• reputational damage for the Mayor and the OPDC, both at Government level, among key stakeholders and the wider public; and
• risk of challenge (against planning decisions) and associated costs; and practical difficulties for members of the public and interested parties accessing information.

Under Section 149 of the Quality Act 2010, as a public authority, OPDC must have ‘due regard’ to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation as well as to the need to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

This duty has been considered by officers and it is not considered that there are any equality considerations arising directly from this decision. The APAS software enables members of the public to access the ‘planning register’ and there are no identified functional features of the software that would be considered to limit its use by persons with any protected characteristic.

There are no other considerations that need to be considered in the taking of this decision.

No one involved in the preparation or clearance of this form, or its substantive proposal, has any conflict of interest.

Expenditure of £15,606 will be funded from the 2023/24 Planning Development Management budget, which sits within the Planning Directorate budget. This value covers the whole financial year, as this Decision is partially retrospective.

N/A.

None.

None.