Local Government Computer Services Board provides Local Authorities with software solutions to their information and communication needs.

Spotlight IT were contracted by LGCSB to develop a number of Intranet products as part of the eGoverment initiative that relate to the planning and development process.

The main keystone of the ePlanning strategy is a product called iPlan. iPlan is installed in 68 planning authorities in the Republic of Ireland and is used on a daily basis by over 1000 people to process in excess of 75,000 planning applications (per annum) in accordance with Irish planning laws.

Irish planning laws are extremely complex and frequently enhanced. Each planning application has a defined deadline by when the local authority must make a decision on the planning application. If this deadline is missed the application is granted by default. Because of the extremely time dependant nature of processing each application must be monitored carefully at each stage of the process and adhere to the planning legislation to avoid exposing the local authority to legal clarification.

Benefits in brief:

• Adheres to relevant planning acts, original and updated regulations
• 54 Crystal Reports for reporting and monitoring of applications, generating Adobe Acrobat PDF reports
• Automatic correspondence generation based on configurable templates
• Modularised enquiry facility for other related applications such as Document management and GIS plotting applications.
• Enquiry facility to planning data via handheld PocketPC devices
• Enquiry facility to planning data Web Services
• User and Role based Security access levels to restrict access at the page level
• Integrated Windows Authentication to Security Manager
• Generates Quarterly and Annual Statistics for Department of the Environment (DOE)
• Generates Key Performance Indicators for Department of the Environment (DOE)
• Generates Annual Statistics for Central Statistics Office (CSO)

Technology used:
    ASP, IIS, VB COM, SQL Server, .Net, Web Services, PocketPC .Net Compact Framework

To facilitate one of the main requirements of eGoverment the ePlan product provides user friendly and standards based public access to planning application information via the local authorities web site. ePlan is installed on more than 30 local authority web sites. The demand for this information is a significant percentage of all traffic on the local authority web site.

Benefits in brief:

• Frequently updated via SQL Replication
• Provides full details of planning applications by Area, Applicant Name or specific application reference.
• Provides report type listings of decisions due, decisions made and applications received recently
• Integration with other related applications such as Document management and GIS applications.

Technology used:
    ASP, IIS, SQL Server, Replication, XHTML, Positional CSS

Replacing a predominantly paper based process the PrePlanning Product manages enquiries from the public prior to submission of a full planning application. For example, talk to a planner about building a 2 storey house in a particular area, the planner could provide some guidance that only a single story Dormer property would be allowed.

Benefits in brief:

• Efficient Scheduling of Pre-Planning appointments per planner
• Historical recording of number and type of pre-planning applications.
• Generation of Microsoft Word correspondence letters to interested parties.
• Provides comprehensive reporting facilities
• Generates Key Performance Indicators for Department of the Environment (DOE)
• Integration with other related applications such as iPlan, Document management and GIS applications.

Technology used:
    ASP.Net, Crystal Reports .Net, IIS, SQL Server

Due to a recent legislative requirement for all Quarry owners to register with their Local authority the QuarryPlan product was developed. QuarryPlan records detailed information about type, size, environmental impact, owner and location of each quarry.

Benefits in brief:

• Automatic calculation of milestone dates for submission
• Historical recording of Quarries.
• Provides comprehensive reporting facilities
• Generation of Microsoft Word correspondence letters to interested parties.
• Integration with other related applications such as iPlan, Document management and GIS applications.

Technology used:
    ASP.Net, Crystal Reports .Net, IIS, SQL Server