THURROCK Council's planning team has been shortlisted for an award in the country's leading planning awards show.

The team are in the running for the Use of Digital Technology in Planning Award at the annual Planning Awards, run by Haymarket Publishing.

The nomination recognises the ground-breaking Thurrock Planning Reference database, which the council says uses data and digital tools to drive faster, more efficient decision-making.

A statement from the council says: "The development and introduction of the database has transformed the way the team works, ensuring planning applications are validated faster, reducing unnecessary consultations and helping identity and solve challenges and issues early."

The planning team's Head of Performance and Intelligence, long-serving Anthony Fletcher, who has been with the authority for almost 12 years, explained how the database makes a difference, saying: "What's so ground-breaking about our dashboard?

 ✅ Real-time insights – Integrating live data from our Uniform system to monitor planning performance.

 ✅ Improved decision-making – Helping us track trends, identify challenges, and make informed interventions.

 ✅ Process innovation – Streamlining Extension of Time (EOT) tracking, S106 agreement monitoring, and consultation engagement.

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 ✅ Resource efficiency – Reducing unnecessary consultations, identifying training needs, and enhancing team performance.

"This dashboard has transformed the way we work, from validating applications faster to strategically managing enforcement cases.

"And we're just getting started—continuous improvements are making our planning service more transparent, accountable, and effective for Thurrock's residents.

"A huge thank you to the team for their hard work and dedication!" 

Cllr Lee Watson, cabinet member for Good Growth, said: "It is fantastic to see national recognition for the hard work and dedication of our planning team.

"Their innovative use of new digital tools to streamline the decision-making process is helping make sure that planning applications from residents and businesses in the borough are not being hampered or delayed unnecessarily.

"This is a great example of how we are embracing the latest technology to deliver for residents and the borough and help transform the service."

The awards ceremony will be held in London on Wednesday, 11 June.

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