Plymouth City Council – improving and building confidence in planning data

The challenge

Plymouth's main challenges were data quality and data ownership.

Information was often held in different formats across teams, with inconsistencies in common data such as addresses and postcodes. This meant officers spent significant time cleaning and checking data before it could be used, limiting opportunities to generate insight and support decision-making.

The council also found that responsibility for data was not always clear. Teams were sometimes unsure who owned particular datasets or who to approach when information needed updating, making it harder to maintain accurate and reliable records.

What the council did

Plymouth joined the Digital Planning Improvement Fund to improve its data foundations while learning alongside other councils facing similar challenges.

As part of the project, the council:

• Completed the Digital Planning Maturity Assessment (DPMA) and developed an action plan based on the findings.
• Published all required planning datasets on the Planning Data platform.
• Participated in Open Digital Planning training sessions, including Agile and GIS learning.
• Shared learning and experiences with other local authorities through the Open Digital Planning network.

The council also reviewed, reformatted and, where necessary, digitised planning datasets to bring them into line with national planning data standards.

The datasets published through the project include:

• Article 4 Directions
• Tree Preservation Orders
• Conservation Areas
• Listed Buildings

This work involved improving existing digital records and beginning the process of digitising information that had previously been held in paper-based formats.

Overcoming challenges

Preparing historic data for publication required more time and effort than initially expected. As work progressed, the team uncovered issues with data quality, consistency and ownership that were not fully visible at the outset.

Some datasets also required significant reformatting and digitisation before they could meet national standards, while others needed additional work to align with evolving planning data requirements. Addressing these challenges helped the council gain a clearer understanding of its data and the processes needed to manage it effectively in the future.

Results

One of the most significant outcomes has been an increase in confidence around data management and ownership across the council.

Teams now have a clearer understanding of who is responsible for key datasets and are sharing information more effectively, supporting a more joined-up approach to planning and data management. The project has also acted as a catalyst for wider data improvement work, with additional projects emerging as teams have recognised the value of improving and maintaining high-quality data.

Alongside the publication of planning datasets, the project has helped create stronger foundations for future digital planning work by improving both skills and ways of working across the organisation.

Lessons learned

Plymouth's experience highlighted the importance of allowing sufficient time for data improvement work.

The team found that projects often uncover issues that are not apparent at the start, making flexibility just as important as careful planning. While having a clear plan provides direction, adapting to challenges as they emerge is key to maintaining progress.

Looking ahead

Plymouth is now building on the foundations established through the project as it prepares for the next stage of its digital planning journey.

The council's focus is on applying the lessons learned through DPIF to support work on a future Digital Local Plan and continue improving the way planning data is managed and used.