Digital Planning Improvement Fund 2024

The Digital Planning Improvement Fund will provide Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) with the funding and support to adopt modern planning practices within planning data, digital capabilities and development management software.  

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will fund LPAs to: 

• understand digital planning maturity in your organisation to baseline a starting point 
• co-create an action plan to help improve your organisation’s digital planning maturity and prepare you for the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act legislation changes 
• access training and improvement opportunities 
• identify, clean and publish datasets to the Planning Data Platform 
• join the Open Digital Planning (ODP) community 

Who can apply

To apply for this fund, you must: 

• be a local planning authority based in England 
• sign the Local Digital Declaration 
• not have previously received funding from the Digital Planning Improvement Fund  

 We will not accept applications from: 

• central government departments 
• third sector organisations 
• private sector organisations 
• other public sector organisations 
• local planning authorities not based in England 
• local or combined authorities that do not process planning applications 

Funding available

£50,000 is available for each successful Local Planning Authority. The fund can be used to: 

• carry out a digital planning maturity self-assessment 
• co-create a digital planning action plan 
• undertake activities identified in your action plan 
• seek training and improvement opportunities  
• identify, improve and publish your planning data   
• access the Open Digital Planning community

How we make payments

MHCLG will make payments to successful local planning authorities under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003.  

Payments will be made to successful applicants within the 2024 to 2025 financial year with spending expected in the 2025 to 2026 financial year. 

Continuous funding

Once your organisation has completed the activities identified in your action plan, you may be able to access further funding through the Digital Planning Continuous Funding Model.  

For example, you could work with your current supplier to improve your planning software access new software such as PlanX and BOPS (Back Office Planning System) 

There are a number of activities that we will fund:

Carry out a digital planning maturity assessment

This will help your organisation understand and document its baseline for the digital planning improvement journey.  

MHCLG will: 

• provide the framework for the assessment 
• provide support to complete the assessment 
• propose an action plan with you following completion, which may include planning data improvements, staff training, recruitment, or software re-configuration 

Local Planning Authorities will: 

• coordinate and plan the completion of the assessment 
• complete the assessment 
• lead the delivery of your action plan on completion of the assessment 

Co-create a digital planning action plan

The action plan will include next steps and give your organisation access to resources and training. 

It will also help improve your organisation’s digital planning maturity and prepare you for the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act legislation changes. The changes may affect how your organisation approaches data, software and planning policy

Undertake activities identified in your action plan 

The action plan will support your organisation in modernising its planning services to make sure it is in the best position to continue its transformation journey.  

This could include (but isn’t limited to): 

• improving your organisation’s planning data 
• configuring your planning software 
• training staff 

Seek training and improvement opportunities 

The results of the digital planning maturity assessment should inform training, and software and data improvements for your organisation. 

However, you may have already identified specific requirements to support your digital planning transformation journey, for example, upskilling staff on existing development management software. 

MHCLG will: 

• signpost to training and skills development opportunities that meet your needs 
• provide funding for permanent local planning authority staff to undertake training in line with your action plan 
• provide funding to backfill permanent LPA staff to carry out improvement works outlined in your action plan 

Local Planning Authorities will: 

• identify training needs to inform its digital planning improvement journey 
• attend and participate in training opportunities and events 
• backfill identified roles as required in a timely manner to carry out training and improvement work 
• be responsible for delivering the identified improvements from your action plan 
• liaise and own the relationship with suppliers and providers to deliver the improvement work 

Identify, improve and publish your planning data 

The Planning Data platform collects planning and housing data from local planning authorities and transforms it into a consistent state across England. Anyone can view, download and analyse the data. The platform collects planning and housing data from local planning authorities and transforms it into a consistent state across England. Anyone can view, download and analyse the data

MHCLG will: 

• provide support and guidance to identify, clean and publish your datasets to the platform 
• provide funding for dedicated support to be used to identify, clean and publish your datasets to the platform 
• provide funding for permanent local planning authority data or geographical information system (GIS) staff to take part in training in line with your action plan 
• provide funding to backfill gaps where permanent GIS and LPA staff resources would be needed for improvement works 

Local Planning Authorities will: 

• provide appropriate resource to carry out the improvement work, for example existing staff with GIS and data knowledge and experience 
• backfill or recruit identified GIS and data roles as required in a timely manner 
• identify data training needs to ensure your organisation has the capability to continuously improve planning data in line with new standards 
• attend and participate in training opportunities and events 
• create repeatable processes within your local planning authority to identify, clean and publish your data to the Planning Data platform  
• create a long-term plan for planning data maintenance  
• publish four geospatial datasets to the Planning Data platform, these will be for: 
  • conservation areas, 
  • article 4 directions,
  • listed buildings
  • and tree preservation orders 

Access the Open Digital Planning community 

The Open Digital Planning (ODP) community currently includes more than 100 local planning authorities and digital planning professionals across England. You will have direct access to these through a shared communications tool and community events.  

MHCLG will: 

• provide a communication platform for local planning authorities to connect, share and work together 
• invite members to attend community events and build networks with other local planning authorities 

Local Planning Authorities will: 

• engage with other funded LPAs 
• utilise the online resource hub 
• attend relevant community events  
• contribute to improving the community 

The application form is available to complete online.

 Your application will be assessed based on weighted criteria. 

Section 1: Name your application

 This section is not scored. 

 We’ll ask you to name your application to help you find it again if you save and return. 

 Section 2: About your organisation 

 This section is not scored. 

We’ll ask for information about your organisation, including: 

• organisation name  
• project sponsor details  
• section 151 officer details  
• lead contact details 

Section 3: Your skills and experience 

 This section is worth 50% of your total score. 

 We’ll ask for information about your organisation’s skills and experience, including: 

• whether your organisation has delivered projects like this before 
• information about the projects delivered (if applicable) 
• whether you have a team ready to deliver the project, and if not, how you plan to establish a team ready to deliver the project
• who’s involved in the project team and how it’s structured (if applicable) 
• whether you need to backfill any roles in your organisation and the estimated costs (if applicable) 
• who the project lead will be (if known) 

 Section 4: About your project 

 This section is worth 50% of your total score. 

 We’ll ask for information about the project, including: 

• why you want to be a part of the Open Digital Planning (ODP) community  
• how you will make sure team members engage with other teams and departments within your organisation 
• how you will share the progress of your work across your organisation 
• if your organisation collects datasets for conservation areas, article 4 directions, listed buildings, and tree preservation orders
• which datasets you have collected (if applicable)
• what format your datasets are in (if applicable)
• how long you think it will take your organisation to publish all 4 datasets to the Planning Data platform (if applicable) 
• what the current known issues and challenges you have with data quality and publication are 

 Section 5: Future work 

 This section is not scored. 

 We’ll ask for information about future work, including which software improvements you are interested in working on. 

 Section 6: Declarations 

 This section is not scored. 

 We’ll ask you to confirm: 

• you have signed the Local Digital Declaration and agree to follow the 5 principles 
• your section 151 officer consents to the funds being carried over and spent in the next financial year (March 2025 to April 2026) and beyond, if deemed necessary in project budget planning 
• you agree to let all outputs from this work be published under open licence with a view to any organisation accessing, using or adopting them freely 
• the information you have provided is accurate 

Timeline and enquiries

The timeline:

• Applications open: 11 December 2024 (application form)
• Deadline for applications: 31 January 2025  
• Successful applicants notified: February 2025 

 Attend a Q&A session 

 To attend one of our Q&A sessions, please email [email protected] for the dates and an invite. 

 Enquiries 

For any enquiries, or to get notified when applications open, email [email protected].