Transformation programme aims to boost planning performance in North Northamptonshire
07 January 2026
Following unanimous approval of the Plan for the Future by elected members in December last year, North Northamptonshire Council is moving forward with its commitment to transforming its planning service, so it is effective and efficient.
A transformation programme is now underway and whilst there is still more to do, there has already been some significant changes which will improve the service for residents.
Crucial to the changes is updating computer systems - combining four planning databases from previous councils into one, enabling one experience for those who use the service.
Not only will this make planning records more easily accessible for the public – it will also further improve productivity and bring financial savings.
Improvements have already been made. In the last 12 months to September 2025, the council determined 98.4% of major applications within agreed timescales which is higher than the rate for England 90.8 and the East Midlands 90.8.
While in the same time period the Council determined 91.4% of non-major applications within agreed timescales which is higher than the rate for England 91.0 and the East Midlands 88.4.
Accompanying the centralisation of planning systems - and important to long-term resilience of the service - is building on the talented planning staff already working for the authority.
The council has appointed to the position of Head of Development Management and Planning Enforcement, with Mella McMahon joining the authority as a permanent member of staff from 12 January.
A wider recruitment drive has also been launched to attract experienced planners to work on major sustainable urban extensions in the area and recently five new apprentices were recruited through the Local Government Association’s (LGA) flagship Pathways to Planning programme.
Two North Northamptonshire councillors are also participating in the national LGA’s training programme for planning committee chairs and Executive members.
Building on this – staff have also been brought together into one office to enhance efficiency and productivity and boost learning and development.
We’re implementing an ambitious transformation programme to modernise our planning services and have made strong progress towards increasing productivity and making our service more robust for the future.Cllr Jan O’Hara, the council’s Executive Member for Planning and Economic Growth
The long-term benefits of these changes will be worth it and will enable us to ensure our planning services are as efficient, reliable, and transparent as possible in the interests of our communities.
None of this would have been possible without the tremendous dedication of our hardworking planning staff, who have shown resilience and professionalism throughout as well as adaptability in embracing the new system which will deliver a more efficient, transparent service.
The amount of planning documents and information on the legacy systems is vast, which makes transferring the data to the new system complex.
As a major growth area, there’s a lot of pressure on our planners who face significant challenges as part of their daily work. That’s why our Executive has worked with senior staff to develop strategies to tackle these challenges.Cllr Martin Griffiths, Leader of the Council
A strong planning function feeds directly into our Corporate Plan as it’s essential in creating the conditions for prosperity and more cohesive communities, which will bring benefits all round.