HSE launches improved land-use planning advice service

New fee-based pre-application service aims to reduce red tape in the planning process

A NEW digital service making it easier and quicker for developers to access land-use planning information and advice has been launched this week by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The HSE says it has introduced the enhanced pre-application service to reduce the amount of red tape involved in the planning process, which will help business take advantage of commercial opportunities and will aid the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of local authorities.

Designed to support early and positive engagement, developers and others can now gain increased access to the HSE’s assessment tools and techniques, simplifying and speeding up the process.

Peter Brown, head of the HSE’s Hazardous Installations Policy Division, said the advisory service had been designed around what users need.

‘Discussions with developers and other parties involved in the planning process have indicated that being able to find out more detail about a piece of land in advance of purchase helps to quicken the development process and can also save significant costs,’ he explained.

‘By enabling easier and more transparent access to the HSE’s land-use planning advice, developers and planners will be able to get quick or even immediate answers to queries related to a plot of land they may be interested in purchasing or developing.’

According to the HSE, the fee-based service will help improve business effectiveness and efficiency, enable better informed planning decisions at a local level, and create greater transparency in the HSE’s decisions and operations.