Consultee Access is part of Public Access and allows regular Consultees and statutory Consultees to submit their comments electronically which then instantly update within our back office database systems. The system also allows Consultees to keep a track of all of their currently active consultations, previous consultations and missed consultations enabling consultation priorities to be readily seen.
Top of Page
Before you can use Consultee Access, two things need to be done:
1. You need to register an account on Public Access:
Visit Public Access
2. East Riding of Yorkshire Council planning department need to invite you to use the system by setting you up as a Consultee
Top of Page
1. Follow this link to access Public Access
Visit Public Access
2. Click on the register button (see below screenshot)
3. Enter your name (title, first name, surname)
4. Enter your email address
5. Enter a password. Please note: this must be at least 8 characters containing a mixture of letters and numbers, and must not contain spaces.
6. Confirm the password
7. Enter your postcode
8. Select your address from the drop down list or enter your address manually
9. Read and accept the Terms and Conditions
10. Complete the registration
11. An email will be sent to the email address you have just entered – you will need to click on the link in this email to complete the registration process
Top of page
1. You need to login to Public Access in order to take advantage of all of the features and to be able to view Consultee Access:
Visit Public Access
2. Click the Login button and enter your details
3. You can also use the Forgotten Password feature and change your password here
4. Remember to Log Out of Public Access once you have finished your session
How to login and out of Public Access
Top of Page
1. The My Profile area allows you to configure your personal details, change your password and to delete your profile should you wish
2. The Notified Applications tab identifies the applications you have saved as a regular search and any updates to them appear here
3. The Tracked Applications tab identifies applications you have chosen to track and watch closely
Changing your account details
Top of Page
Once logged in and, if set up by the planning department as a Consultee, you will see some extra tabs to a public user including the Consultee In Tray. Use this tab to access the Consultee Access area.
Consultee Access In Tray Settings
Top of Page
The In Tray allows you to view new, active and past consultations for your designated interest area as well as being able to perform consultation searches.
The In Tray also shows a list of applications on which requests for consultation in your interest area have been made. Each application may have one or more requests for consultation associated with it. If you are associated with more than one interest area you can choose to display applications relating to one interest area only using the Interest Area drop down list.
You can sort your consultations using the sort, direction and results per page buttons. If you have a lengthy list of consultations that do not fit on one page you can use the next and previous buttons or use the page numbers for navigation.
The letter reference populates if a reference has been entered into the Planning database system. The Consultee is the name of the consultee body, group or individual. The date requested is the date the request for the consultation was initiated. The expiry date is the date that Consultee comments must be made by. The days to expiry is the countdown to the expiry date.
Top of Page
To view application details, simply click on the title of the application as highlighted below. You will also be able to read any Public and Consultee comments that have already been made.
Click on the application hyperlink to view the details behind it
Top of Page
This is the Consultee body or group to which you are assigned, for example, Yorkshire Water or Environment Agency. The interest area can also refine consultations which you receive, for example, a Parish Council may only be interested in receiving consultations on applications within their Parish.
Top of Page
Yes. Using the In Tray Settings tab you can view all of the interest areas that you have been assigned to and you can configure email notifications to email you a summary of comments when you submit them for your records.
You can also see if you are assigned as a coordinator for the group – there may be several people within a group who may wish to be consulted, they can send all of their comments to the group coordinator to correlate them.
Top of Page
To comment on an application as a Consultee, you need to select an application from your In Tray and then click on the Consultee Comment button as highlighted below.
You can submit a Consultee comment by typing directly into the large field (see below). There is also an Upload Document button which allows you to submit an actual document e.g. a proforma or a pre-prepared letter.
You can also send a message directly to a Consultee Group Coordinator who may wish to correlate all comments made by members of the group.
Once you have typed your comment you can use the Submit Comment button which will then send the comments and they will instantly populate into the Planning back office database and will show on Public Access instantly (unless the comment is set to 'restricted view').
Remember, if you are assigned to more than one interest group, you will need to select the Consult as drop down option.
Top of Page
?
There is now an Upload Document button which allows you to submit an actual document e.g. a proforma or a pre-prepared letter.
Click on the Choose File button and navigate to the document’s location on your computer or network. Once you have located the document, click on the Upload button.
Submit comment and Upload Document features
Top of Page
To send a message to the Consultee Group Coordinator select the Email Coordinator tab. Select your relevant interest area from the Consult As drop down list and type the text of the message that you want to send and click the Email to Group Coordinator button.
Email Group Coordinator Function
Top of Page
Upon submitting a comment, a confirmation message will pop up similar to the one below. If you have set your preferences to email you under the In Tray settings described earlier, you will also receive a summary email of your submission(s).
Comment Submission Confirmation
Top of Page
The Active Consultations page displays a list of applications currently under consultation on which you have made a Consultee comment. You have until the expiry date to make any further comment – after this date they are moved to the Previous Consultations page. Again you can refine the list by selecting an interest area from the drop down list if you are assigned to more than one interest area.
You can display only submissions that were made by you or submissions that were made by other members of your Consultee Group. You can sort the results by using the Sort By list and you can change the direction of the results by selecting from the Direction list. To change the number of results displayed at one time, select a value from the Results per page list.
To add a further comment on an application, click on the Consultee Comment button again.
Please note: some interest groups do not permit you to make more than one comment.
Top of Page
The Previous Consultations page displays a list of applications whose consultation expiry has passed (a decision has been reached) on which you made a Consultee comment. These remain in this list until the time period specified by the System Administrator is reached. The navigation on this screen is very similar to that of the Active Consultations screen.
Active Consultations and Previous Consultations
Top of Page
Consultees can search for applications that have been commented on. You can search by Letter Reference (if there is one) or by Consultee Name. Select the Interest Area from the Consultation Type drop down list. In the Comment Date boxes, enter the beginning and end dates between which comments have been made.
Top of Page
Using the Public Access element of the system you can search for and retrieve information. Searches you wish to perform regularly can be saved. Any changes to the status of applications previously found by your search criteria or any new applications which match the criteria of a saved search will trigger a notification. Notifications are listed in the Notified Applications page.
To view your saved searches select Saved Searches from the My Profile drop down. Sort the list by clicking on the column headings, use the RUN button to perform the saved search again, use the EDIT button to refine the search criteria or use the DELETE button to remove the saved search.
1. The primary function of Public Access is to search for and retrieve information
2. Searches you wish to perform regularly can be saved
3. Any changes to the status of applications previously found by your search criteria or any new applications which match the criteria of a saved search will trigger a notification. Notifications are listed in the Notified Applications page.
4. To view your saved searches select Saved Searches from the My Profile drop down
5. Sort the list by clicking on the column headings
6. Use the Run button to perform the saved search again
7. Use the Edit button to refine the search criteria
8. Use the Delete button to remove the saved search
Top of Page
a. Simple
b. Advanced
c. Weekly/Monthly List
d. Property
e. AZ street search
f. Map
a. Simple Search
1. Simple Search allows you to search quickly for a Planning Application, Appeal or Enforcement
2. You can also filter your search by adding a status of an application
3. Enter some key words
4. Wild Card searching now available (use % symbol if you are not sure of the complete reference number or an address, for example)
5. Click the search button
1. Advanced search allows you to search on greater criteria:
a. Reference
b. Application type
c. Status
d. Decision
e. Development Type
f. Ward/Parish
g. Appeal Status
h. Address
i. Agent – now free text field
j. Key dates
1. The Weekly/Monthly lists allow you to search for applications validated or decided in a particular week or month
2. Click on the WEEKLY LIST or MONTHLY LIST buttons to select which you want to search by
3. You can refine the search using the Parish and Ward filters
4. Click the Search button to perform the search
Search by Week/Month Decided or Validated
1. Property search allows a search to be conducted by address or using the A to Z Street Search function
2. Use the Reset button to clear the fields and start again:
1. The A to Z Street Search lists all streets alphabetically
2. Select a street and then pick the address from the results:
1. Map search allows you to zoom in and examine specific properties
2. You can add filters to highlight any properties in an area which have Planning Applications, Appeals, Enforcements or Building Control history or activity:
3. You can search for Planning Applications, Appeals, Enforcements etc. in a specific area of interest
4. You can specify a time period for any applications which are of a certain age
5. The polygons on the map show areas where there are applications or records and the legend appears on the right hand side:
6. By clicking on a polygon, an information panel appears detailing the summary details of the application (as below)
7. It may be that a property has multiple Planning / Appeal / Enforcement history against it, in which case you can scroll through the summaries using the arrows at the top of the information panel
8. The hyperlink at the bottom of the information panel takes you to the application record for the full information (see below):
Map Search Information Panel
9. You can navigate the map using the mouse buttons
10. The scroll wheel on the mouse zooms in and out – the scale bar at the bottom of the map will change accordingly
11. Press and hold the scroll wheel to pan the map or hold the left mouse button down when moving the mouse:
The different polygon colours are shown in the legend but the most common ones are shown below:
Property Details
1. If you select the Property option in the legend on the right hand side, then you can click on any property point to reveal the full details about that property including any historical records that do not fall into the time period displayed on the map.
Please note: all of the blue dots that appear on the map below when the Property option is selected in the legend:
Top of Page
1. You can add a map search to your saved searches list
2. Using the Save a rectangular search button saves all of the records of the selected record type that apply to the area currently shown on the map
3. Using the Save a circular search button saves all of the records of the selected record type that apply to the area within a specified radius of the map centre
4. Map searches can only be saved for one record type at a time e.g. Application:
Top of Page
1. This will save a search based on the current map extents you are viewing on screen
2. Zoom and pan the map to display your area of interest
3. Select the required time period
4. Filter the legend to display one record type
5. Click on Save a rectangular search
Saving a Rectangular Search
6. You can then give the search a memorable name for future use
7. NB: please note the facility shown below for being notified about new search results in the map search is not live. If you wish to be notified of new applications within a specific area please set your search based on a street, postcode or parish etc.
8. Click Save to add the rectangular extent search to your Saved Searches:
Saving a Rectangular Search
Top of Page
1. The circular map search allows you to display occurrences of a record type over a defined radius from the centre of the map
2. If you zoom and pan the map to your home, apply the application filter, set a time period of within the last year, you can then save a proximity search that allows you to monitor new planning applications arising within the specified distance of your home on a yearly basis:
Circular search example
1. Zoom and pan the map
2. Select the time period
3. Filter the legend to display one record type
4. Select the radial distance from the centre of the displayed map in which to search for records
5. Click on the Show on map button to display the circle
6. Choose your radial distance:
a. 50m
b. 100m
c. 500m
d. 1000m
7. Click the Save a circular search button to add it to your saved searches
8. NB: please note the facility shown below for being notified about new search results in the map search is not live, if you wish to be notified of new applications within a specific area please set your search based on a street, postcode, parish etc.
Top of page
1. After running any search, the list of applications matching your criteria will display
2. Some applications have a speech bubble icon next to them which indicates that this application is open for comments:
Applications Open for Comment
3. You can reorder the results using sort by, direction and results per page
4. A thumbnail map of the area that encompasses the results is shown on the right with pins indicating where the applications are geographically
5. You can use the Show results on large map button for greater detail
6. Use the Print button to produce the results in a printable format
7. Click on the application title to view its details further
8. Use the Save Search button to add it to your saved searches for future use
Top of page
1. When you select a record from the search results list you can view further details such as:
a. Key information about the record
b. Status
c. Address
d. What comments have been made
e. What constraints are placed on the record
f. Any associated documents e.g. plans
g. Any related case information
h. Map and graphical information
Details
1. Click the Details tab and you will find 4 sub tabs:
a. Summary – displays basic information and now includes the Decision
b. Further information (as seen below)
c. Contacts – displays contact information (as seen below)
d. Important Dates – such as decision dates, consultation dates, expiry dates, received and validate dates etc.
Top of page
1. The Constraints tab displays constraints placed on the application:
Top of page
1. Clicking on the Associated Documents tab takes you to any documentation which is attached to the application whether this be a plan or the application form itself, for example:
Associated Documents and Plans
Top of page
No not at the present time. Development work is underway to bring Consultee Access to the mobile platform. Public Access is already available on all mobile platforms and is compatible with Internet Explorer Version 8 or later and the latest versions of Safari, Chrome and Firefox.
Top of page
1. The Online Measuring Tool will be available in Public Access in a few months’ time – likely to be mid-2015.
This will allow users of the system to scale and measure drawings and plans online. Even for plans where no scale bar is provided, users will be able to set a scale using the quoted scale ratio and known page size e.g. 1:50 at A3.
2. Manual calibration will allow users to set a scale using a known measurement on the page:
Top of Page
1. After searching and finding an application of interest to you, you can use the Track Application button to add it to your tracked applications list
2. When applications that you are tracking are modified a notification appears on the Notified Applications page and you will be sent a notification email (as shown below):
Top of Page
1. You can sort your tracking list by clicking on the column headings
2. Order by:
a. Reference
b. Address
c. Type
d. Status
3. Click on View to view the tracked application
4. Click on Stop Tracking to remove a tracked application
Sorting Tracked Applications
