Open Digital Planning

A community of forward-thinking Local Planning Authorities working together to shape a more efficient, data-driven planning system.

Supported by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), we are united in transforming planning for the benefit of everyone.

Who we are

We are a community of Local Planning Authorities in England dedicated to rethinking and modernising planning processes. By sharing ideas, experiences, and best practices, our community drives the shift from traditional, document-heavy approaches to innovative digital solutions that streamline planning for everyone involved.

Together, we are improving planning services and creating a supportive environment where members learn, share, and innovate for the future of digital planning.

Our goals

better equipped planning teams
better served residents, applicants and planning professionals
better technology to support faster planning decisions

About us

Our story

Open Digital Planning started in 2018 with the launch of the Local Digital Fund. It was aimed at supporting Local Planning Authorities directly to build innovative products and services along with standardising data. This started our two products, Back Office Planning System (BOPS) and PlanX.

In 2022, we determined that effectively scaling the adoption of these products would require building a community of Local Planning Authorities and then building legislation around the standardisation of data.

By 2024, forty-three Local Planning Authorities had joined the community to assess and enhance their digital planning maturity, access training opportunities, and improve and publish their datasets on the Planning Data Platform. We further broadened our reach to include additional Local Planning Authorities supported by the MHCLG PropTech Innovation Fund.

Our focus

Planning technology

Making the technology we use every day work for everyone.
Find out about our products
Digital capabilities

Supporting Local Planning Authorities to improve digital planning capabilities
Digital planning improvement
Planning data

Working with MHCLG to publish data to the planning data platform.
Planning data platform
Community

Co-designing products and making digital planning improvements.
Learn about our community

“There's great work being achieved and there's much to be said for government, developer, and local authority collaboration, and the innovations and improvements that derive from this.”

Jenna Rumley, Planning Support & Improvement Manager, Doncaster Council