Planning Improvement Consultancy - A820

Swale Borough Council is inviting Expressions of Interest to quote for a specialist Planning Improvement Consultant.

Swale Borough Council's Development Management and Planning Enforcement Services have a key part to play in delivering the Council's plan to encourage good development that supports economic growth in Swale.

The Service knows that prospective developers and local people who use these services want speed, consistency, and confidence in the process. Swale Borough Council understands this but has not always been able to deliver the pace, consistency and levels of confidence that is needed.

We are seeking an independent partner with planning experience and knowledge to support our DM service, principal stakeholders, head of service, management team, and planners and other team members in the Service's Development Management (planning applications) and Technical Support teams over a period of approximately 6 months or more to:

• Improve the key working relationships between the DM team and their principal stakeholders • Improve performance against key measures of timeliness and quality • Reduce the backlog of applications • Improve customer experience • Improve employee experience • Increase fee income

To support our Planning Enforcement service by working with us, our team and our Members to understand in detail the current situation and to co-design new ways of working that deliver the improvements needed to make the Enforcement team a better and more rewarding place to work. So that the service;

• Has a clearer sense of purpose and what is expected from the team • Has stakeholders who understand its purpose, and understand what to expect from the team • Is balancing the needs of its stakeholders • Is focused on the right kind of activity • Represents value for money • Focuses on delivering good experience for its customers and stakeholders • Is managing its priorities • Is providing a better and more rewarding experience for team members

The contract shall commence on 13th December 2021 and terminate on 12th June 2022. The tenderer/s who submit/s the Most Economically Advantageous Tender, (MEAT) will be awarded the contract.

Expressions of Interest and the Request for Quotation (RFQ) document must be submitted / uploaded on the Council's e-tendering portal. The closing date for submission of Expressions of Interest and the closing date for the RFQ is 3rd December 2021 at 12:00 noon.