Launching first for a selection of pilot cases at the end of July, the new service will ultimately replace the Appeals Casework Portal – our existing appeals platform. The new portal will offer clearer guidance, an intuitive layout and better tracking of appeals.

What to expect from the new service

• Easier submission of appeals, and questionnaires from local planning authorities.

• Online tracking of appeal progress – the portal will allow you to track appeal progress and view documentation online

• Account management – organisations can create organisation-wide accounts so that multiple people can access and work on cases – making covering for annual leave and busy workloads easier

Electronic reminders for deadlines – will ensure all parties are aware of their expected timescales

Tom Warth, product manager at the Inspectorate, said:

“The new online service represents a complete redesign of the way we receive appeals and how users interact with us. A key goal for the new portal is to ensure the appeals we receive are valid on submission thereby reducing the number of incomplete cases we currently handle that require valuable time and effort to resolve.

We have designed the new portal so that we receive a valid appeal every time and to ensure the service is simple to use. We’ve worked in close collaboration with users and the Government Digital Service (GDS) to ensure the service meets the highest standards across government. Now in advanced stages of testing, we will be launching the service to a select number of pilot cases to refine the service before the wider launch.”

Which cases will be piloted?

Starting at the end of July, the pilot will be restricted to appeals of a certain type against some local planning authorities in East Sussex, West Sussex and Kent. At this stage, only planning appeals following the written representation procedure will be in the trial. Further down the line, we will roll out the new service to other types of cases.

For anyone making an appeal that will be included in the pilot:

• Continue to use the Appeals Casework Portal. The online form will validate the information to check if your appeal fits the pilot criteria.

• You will need to set up a user account. This is quick and easy to do. You may wish to set up an organisation account, and this is recommended for larger planning consultancy where there is greater need to collaborate on multiple cases.

• We have a dedicated support team who will help answer any queries. After the decision, we will ask for your feedback on how you think the case went. The feedback will help us to refine the service for a wider roll out later on.

Call to run a project help disadvantaged communities to get closer to the labour market in Sheffield City Region LEP Area

Following the Mauritanian Constitutional Council’s confirmation of the results of the recent Presidential election, Minister of State Dr Andrew Murrison has congratulated the President-elect, Mohamed Cheikh Mohamed Ahmed El Ghazouani.

The Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Dr Andrew Murrison, said:

I offer my warm congratulations to Mohamed Cheikh Mohamed Ahmed El Ghazouani, on his election as the next President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

The UK remains committed to strengthening its relationship with Mauritania, following the opening of our Embassy there in 2018.

I look forward to working with President-elect Ghazouani and his government to help deliver stability, security and prosperity for the benefit of all Mauritanians.

Further information