MID Ulster District Council has launched its own independent planning portal.
The council has opted to develop its own system apart from the new portal currently under development by the Department for Infrastructure and the other ten councils.
That system is not expected to be live until the end of the summer.
Mid Ulster’s new system however has now gone live.
Council chair Cllr Córa Corry described its as “a milestone moment” for the local authority.
“It will transform how our residents access the service, bringing increased access, greater speed and for many agents, some significant cost reductions, while also ensuring that we as an organisation can work more efficiently and effectively, improving our service and, in particular, our processing times.”
Cllr Cathal Mallaghan, who chair of the council’s planning committee, said: “Ultimately the new portal is about improving our customers’ experience, enhancing their journey through the planning process, from making an application to receiving an outcome and all points in between.
“We have already tested the portal with customers and the feedback has been very positive, so we hope our residents who will now use it for the first time find it easy to navigate, responsive to their needs and an effective digital service.”
