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Important changes to planning, land charges and mapping services

Updated 30 June 2026

Planning system now available:

The downtime for the council’s planning system is now over and the new system is available. You can access support and view the latest timetables on the new system FAQ page.

Land Charges will launch in June and the new mapping system will follow in the coming weeks – we will update this page as well as promote the launch on our other communication channels. See further details below:

Land Charges: 

The new Land Charges system will launch soon. We are currently undertaking testing to ensure the system is working correctly and returning accurate searches. We will be unable to process Local Land Charges search requests until the system launches.

Once the system goes live there will be a delay in processing of searches because of the downtime beyond the normal eight-day turnaround period. We will update on our timescales once the system has launched. We appreciate your patience whilst we complete testing and then deal with the backlog of searches.

You can register for the new system now in anticipation of its launch.

Please note – searches received by email prior to go live will be processed by the Land Charges team -please do not resubmit the same request again through the new portal.

What has been happening?

During April we have been updating the software behind our Planning and Land Charges services along with the council’s mapping (GIS) system. These changes ensure these systems remains reliable, supported, and able to meet future service needs. Moving to a new system is a significant step; we appreciate that the change in layout and functionality may feel different at first. 

Support resources

We have provided step‑by‑step videos demonstrating the new planning system and showing how to complete key tasks. We also have an FAQ:

Council Planning Alert System:

Everyone currently signed up to the council’s planning alert system will now need to register for an account.

Planning applications:  

During the downtime, we continued processing planning applications. However, we were unable to register applications, carry out consultations, or issue decisions. As a result, now the system is live there will be a period where we are catching up. Please bear with us as the process will take slightly longer than normal.

Mapping system

We will launch a new mapping system in the coming weeks.

  • Users will be able to access the new system via the following link once it goes live: maps.southandvale.gov.uk
  • The current mapping system was last updated on Friday 10 April. During the system changeover, the maps will remain available, but no updates will be made.
  • Once live, the new mapping system will again display current and fully up‑to‑date information and should be used as the primary source for mapping and location‑based data.