Exploring users needs for the planning pre-application service in Wales

Our objective was to recommend sustainable changes for improved planning services in Wales. We focused on using digital solutions to support these changes. 

To achieve this, we aimed to: 

• understand the current process 
• engage the right stakeholders 
• identify key areas for improvement 

Project structure 

The team structured the project into 3 phases:  

1. Pre-discovery  
2. Discovery  
3. Alpha 

The team are currently in alpha.

For alpha, the team will focus on the pre-application phase of the planning process. We’re partnering with the Welsh Government and three local authorities, Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, and Gwynedd.

The goals for this phase include:

• gaining a clear understanding of the pre-application process in these authorities 
• examining how the pre-application stage connects to the whole planning process 
• identifying the needs of both local planning authorities and applicants  
• pinpointing pain points within the process  
• defining a minimum viable product to tackle the key issues  

Following this, the team is looking to make sure designs or content created can also be shared wider to support planning across Wales.   

The team will be working in the open and sharing their learnings through this process.