Subscribe to our Construction Newsfeed
UK Construction Directory
Search our 156,888 companies....

Construction News

20/11/2012

Planning Committee Members To Officially Use Tablet Computers

A landmark moment in Birmingham City Council's use of technology will be reached when Planning Committee members begin to officially use tablet computers to enable the electronic running of Planning Committee.

The committee is set to start a six month trial at its November 22 meeting, initially using the machines in parallel with paper copies of agendas – before discarding with the hard copies of reports and agendas entirely in the new year.

Figures compiled for the scheme's business case show that the 21 tablets (15 for committee members, six for officers), will be paid for inside three years, thanks to the savings their use will generate.
-- Advertisement --
hss



Cllr Mike Sharpe, Chairman of the Planning Committee, said: "It would be very easy for things to stand still because they have always been done a certain way.

"But the Planning Committee is one of the main stages for council business, has a busy agenda and the printing costs of all the paperwork mean it is no longer sensible or sustainable to avoid the benefits that technology offer."

Waheed Nazir, Director of Planning and Regeneration, added: "The tablets will enable easy viewing and annotation of agendas and will provide a platform for more interactive reports in the future.

"It will also make our work more agile and efficient and is a good example of how modernisation and business transformation can be adopted to ensure that we are a smart city using new technologies.

"This gives us a great opportunity to explore whether iPads are something the rest of the council could benefit from. If this works, the savings on a council-wide basis would be a welcome boost at a time when we need to make significant reductions to our budgets, while continuing to deliver first-rate services."

(CD)

Latest Construction News

14/02/2025
Nottingham City Council has signed a £12.6 million contract with Balfour Beatty to deliver an 85-metre long walking and cycling bridge over the River Trent. The bridge, which will span the river at 20 metres high, is set to become a key infrastructure link, connecting the north side of the river—wh
14/02/2025
GMI Construction Group has officially broken ground on one of the largest regeneration projects in Grimsby's history, the transformation of Freshney Place into a vibrant leisure, retail, and food hub, complemented by a modern market. The redevelopment, backed by both the Government and North East L
14/02/2025
Salford City Council has approved plans for the construction of 25 affordable homes across two locations in the city, aimed at providing much-needed supported accommodation for young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The first development, located on Bridgewater Street in Little H
14/02/2025
Work has officially begun on a new 25-metre swimming pool at Pentwyn Leisure Centre, Cardiff, as part of an exciting upgrade to the facility. The project, being carried out by Cardiff Council’s appointed contractor, is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The new pool will feature a r
14/02/2025
Homebuilder Cala has launched a new business division, Cala Southern, as part of its growth strategy across the South of England. Cala Southern will spearhead the company's westward expansion, enhancing Cala's presence in Dorset, Hampshire and Southern Wiltshire, to meet strong demand for high-qual
14/02/2025
Harrow is set to see the creation of 149 new family homes, including new council properties, following the approval of phase one of the Byron Quarter development. In a partnership between the London Borough of Harrow and Wates Residential, the project will transform underutilised council-owned land
14/02/2025
Barhale and Flannery have partnered with JCB to conduct the first in-field trial of the equipment manufacturer's groundbreaking hydrogen-powered backhoe loader. The trial, which took place at Lower Penn, a Severn Trent Water project on the outskirts of Wolverhampton, saw the innovative 3CX loader p
14/02/2025
McLaren Construction Midlands and North is making impressive progress on a major student accommodation development at 77 Talbot Street, Nottingham, with the £25.8m project set to welcome students by September 2025. The nine-storey building, designed by Leonard Design Architects, is being constructe
14/02/2025
Manchester has been allocated £1.5 million by the Government to support the next phase of regeneration in Collyhurst, located in north Manchester. The funding forms part of the larger Victoria North regeneration programme, a transformative project aimed at revitalising the area. The grant will be
14/02/2025
Construction work has officially commenced on Overstone Park Primary School, a state-of-the-art, non-selective, state-funded educational facility at the Overstone Leys development in north-east Northampton. The milestone was marked by a groundbreaking ceremony which signalled the start of a major p
This web site uses cookies to improve your experience and by viewing our content you accept their use. Click here to remove this notice.
Think Construction Skills Ltd.T & D Glazing And Installation LimitedStuart CanvasAqua Direct LtdEfco UK LtdLakeside HireBRICOFLOR UKLandscaping CambridgeMy Thread Curtains(London) Builder Cambridge Ltd