JDi Solutions Ltd
Dedicated Website hailed a success for the Greater Norwich Local Plan
Dedicated Website hailed a success for the Greater Norwich Local Plan
Details:
- Company: JDi Solutions Ltd
- Client: Greater Norwich Local Plan
- Year: 2021 - 2024
- Region: England
- Product: OpusConsult, The Opus System + LocalGov Drupal Website with CMS
Service areas:
- Community engagement
- Plan-making, planning application and data management systems
- Organisational digital transformation
Introduction
Greater Norwich authorities appointed JDi Solutions to build, host and maintain an intuitive and accessible dedicated Local Plan website, integrated with the software provider’s specialist consultation platform OpusConsult. The aim being to establish an attractive and streamlined full digital solution to improve user experience and increase community engagement. The digital project supported the ultimate achievement, the Greater Norwich Local Plan (GNLP) being adopted.
The GNLP is a joint local plan produced by Broadland District Council, Norwich City Council, and South Norfolk Council working in partnership with Norfolk County Council and the Broads Authority.
The GNLP is a joint local plan produced by Broadland District Council, Norwich City Council, and South Norfolk Council working in partnership with Norfolk County Council and the Broads Authority.
Challenges
Carole Baker, Principal Planning Policy Officer comments:
“The Greater Norwich authorities have used OpusConsult to run digital Local Plan consultations since the preparation of the Joint Core Strategy, so we have built up a close working relationship with the company over several years. Prior to 2021, the GNLP website was hosted by another supplier and linked through to OpusConsult for public consultations. Having a separate website and consultation software worked ok, but felt a little disjointed in terms of the customer experience. So, we were eager to improve the web navigation user experience and in turn increase community engagement.”
“The Greater Norwich authorities have used OpusConsult to run digital Local Plan consultations since the preparation of the Joint Core Strategy, so we have built up a close working relationship with the company over several years. Prior to 2021, the GNLP website was hosted by another supplier and linked through to OpusConsult for public consultations. Having a separate website and consultation software worked ok, but felt a little disjointed in terms of the customer experience. So, we were eager to improve the web navigation user experience and in turn increase community engagement.”
Solutions
In 2021 the GNLP team had the chance to have a Drupal website built by JDi Solutions and they felt that this was an exciting opportunity that had many advantages including providing a more attractive and streamlined customer interface. Having the website and local plan consultation software developed, hosted and maintained by the same company, provided the GNLP team with more control over the content and style of the website and it has been much easier for them to make updates when needed.
Carole Baker, Principal Planning Policy Officer, comments:
“The implementation of the new Drupal dedicated Local Plan website and its integration with OpusConsult was relatively straightforward, as was maintaining and updating the website. Plus, the JDi Solutions team have always been on hand to assist where needed.
The training, customer services and support that we have received from JDi Solutions has always been excellent.”
Carole Baker, Principal Planning Policy Officer, comments:
“The implementation of the new Drupal dedicated Local Plan website and its integration with OpusConsult was relatively straightforward, as was maintaining and updating the website. Plus, the JDi Solutions team have always been on hand to assist where needed.
The training, customer services and support that we have received from JDi Solutions has always been excellent.”
Results
The Greater Norwich Local Plan was adopted in March 2024, having been subject to various stages of public consultation and an examination in public as required by planning regulations.
Carole Baker, Principal Planning Policy Officer, comments:
“Being a joint local plan on behalf of 3 authorities, the Greater Norwich Local Plan website needs to present a large amount of information in a clear and understandable way with easy digital navigation, and we feel that the Drupal website provided by JDi Solutions has achieved that for us. Overall, the OpusConsult system and dedicated Local Plan website has provided value for money.”
Carole Baker, Principal Planning Policy Officer, comments:
“Being a joint local plan on behalf of 3 authorities, the Greater Norwich Local Plan website needs to present a large amount of information in a clear and understandable way with easy digital navigation, and we feel that the Drupal website provided by JDi Solutions has achieved that for us. Overall, the OpusConsult system and dedicated Local Plan website has provided value for money.”
Undertaking day-to-day content updates is easy and the team have always been very friendly and approachable, plus the ‘how to’ videos are great. Tom and the team have always been happy to discuss our needs and have always accommodated our deadlines, which have sometimes changed at short notice.
Carole Baker
Principal Planning Policy Officer, Greater Norwich Local Plan
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