Apps to help simplify home extension application process

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced that two new apps are being launched to help homeowners improve and extend their homes.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says that the apps are a step towards a fully digital planning system and will save time and money for developers, architects and homeowners by speeding up and simplifying the application process.

Many home improvements don’t need full planning permission but the rules are complicated and often result in people submitting invalid applications for ‘permitted developments’, wasting time and money.

The new app for homeowners uses simple language and diagrams to help navigate the system. It asks a series of questions, and determines whether the plans meet local and national requirements. Users can then apply within the app for the certificate they need to show their plans are permitted development, allowing building to go ahead.

A second app will help council planning officials manage permitted development applications – tracking progress and putting the information they need to make decisions in a user-friendly format. It puts the focus on data rather than documents, helping planners make decisions much more quickly and efficiently.

The apps are being tested in three areas, with the aim of replacing the current outdated, paper-based system with one that is digital from start to finish – doing away with hundred-page PDFs and inaccessible information, and putting data and decision-making in the palm of your hand.

Jenrick said: “We want to speed up the planning process, to help families make improvements to their homes more quickly. These apps are a step towards a planning system that is transparent, efficient, and end-to-end digital – saving time and money for developers, architects and homeowners, and letting planners focus on the merits of applications rather than chasing paperwork.”