FOI release

Built Environment (Planning, Building Control, and Land Charges) Digital System

This request was refused in part, so we didn't provide some of the information the requester asked for. This may include information where we can neither confirm nor deny that we hold it.

Case reference FOI2026/01165

Received 16 May 2026

Published 28 May 2026

Request

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I kindly request information.

1. What Built Environment (Planning, Building Control, and Land Charges) digital system does your council currently use?

2. Are there any known limitations or challenges within your current Built Environment System (e.g. usability, reporting, integrations, configurability), if so, what?

3. When does the current contract for your Built Environment System expire?

4. What is the total contract value of your current Built Environment system (including any extensions)?

5. In light of the upcoming Local Government Reorganisation, has the council undertaken (or does it plan to undertake) any review, consolidation, or replacement of systems used within Built Environment services? If so, please provide details of the scope, expected timelines, and whether this activity is anticipated to be delivered within the first 12 months of reorganisation or as part of a longer-term (e.g. 3-year) plan.

Response

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I kindly request information.

1. What Built Environment (Planning, Building Control, and Land Charges) digital system does your council currently use?

Answer: Land Charges use NEC Software Solutions UK Ltd. (Northgate M3).

Planning and Building Control Answer: Civica UK Limited.

2. Are there any known limitations or challenges within your current Built Environment System (e.g. usability, reporting, integrations, configurability), if so, what?

Answer: Land Charges have advised they have no known issues.

Planning and Building Control have advised known limitations are integrations and not as configurable as newer systems.

3. When does the current contract for your Built Environment System expire?

4. What is the total contract value of your current Built Environment system (including any extensions)?

Answer: The information for questions 3 and 4 is publically available on our council website and can be viewed via the following link:

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/your-council/our-open-data/council-contracts-register-and-future-opportunities/

For Land Charges, please see Contract ID 106716.

For Planning and Building Control Services, please see Contract ID 106307.

As such we consider this information to be exempt under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because it is reasonably accessible to you via other means. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.

Answer: Land Charges have advised no, they have not undertaken (or plan to undertake) any review, consolidation, or replacement of the system they use.

Planning and Building Control have advised yes, the council is in the process of replacing Civica with a new Planning and Regulatory software system and this will begin to go live in August 2026.

Documents

There are no documents for this release.

This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.

You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.