Government funding awarded to Local Planning Authorities to digitise planning using Objective Keyplan

On the back of successful applications for Round 4 of the PropTech Innovation Fund, four Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) are adopting Objective Keyplan to develop their Local Plan and to improve land assessment.

Accurate land assessments by LPAs and considered Local Plans are critical to creating thriving communities in England, actively supported by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). DLUHC's PropTech programme funds LPAs to work with industry at pace and scale, radically transforming how communities engage in the planning system and enabling them to harness a more efficient, transparent and data-driven planning system.

The successful submissions highlighted how cutting-edge technology empowers LPAs to enhance community engagement and make data-driven decisions, supported by Objective Keyplan and partner, Maptionnaire, a renowned provider of map-based community engagement software.

The LPAs awarded funding from this round to digitise planning using Objective Keyplan are:

Stoke-On-Trent City Council

Theme 4: Land Assessment – Wildcard, Theme 5: Digital Citizen Engagement - Visualisation

Stoke-on-Trent City Council positioned how digital technology could be used in the development of its Local Plan, in particular to transform and maximise consultation and engagement within its communities.

A combined solution from Objective Keyplan and Maptionnaire will enable the Council to:

  • transform the consultation process to allow for in-depth public consultations, a Call for Sites exercise, land assessment, housing and economic land availability, self-build register and area improvements; and
  • deliver an interactive mapping experience through Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s corporate GIS data.


Salford City Council

Theme 4: Land Assessment – Wildcard

Having completed the first part of its Local Plan (Development Management Policies and Designations), as well as the Places For Everyone joint plan, Salford City Council sought a digital solution for Part 2 of its Local Plan. This will allow Salford’s Core Strategy and Allocations to be developed in Objective Keyplan, purpose-built for the planning process.

A combined solution from Objective Keyplan and Maptionnaire will enable the Council to:

  • manage the end-to-end process of gathering evidence, drafting and adopting plans, hosting consultation events and digitally capturing GIS-based information; and
  • contribute to the vision of Objective Keyplan to ensure it meets the needs of local plan-making and develop further capabilities in the future.
We believe that this combined offering from Objective Keyplan and Maptionnaire will provide Salford City Council with a significant jump into a Digital First Local Plan.

James Shuttleworth

Head of Planning, Salford City Council


Cheshire West and Chester Council and Forest of Dean District Council (Joint Application)

Theme 1: Land Assessment – Viability and Feasibility

Cheshire West and Chester Council and Forest of Dean District Council are long-standing customers of Objective. They were on a previous version Objective Keystone, which was evolved to meet the end-to-end planning requirements of LPAs and re-launched as Objective Keyplan.

The combined solution of Objective Keyplan and Maptionnaire will enable the Council’s end-to-end process of site identification, digitisation, assessment consultation, and reporting to inform Local Plan preparation.

Of significant benefit to the council, the resource impacts of evidence-based preparation will be reduced by:

  • identifying sites from a range of sources, digitising boundaries and site attributes displayed on a public platform;
  • creating detailed site assessments with report writing capabilities, including assessment of national and local planning policies; and
  • supporting public consultation, stakeholder engagement and internal events, through linking site submissions, mapping and consultation functionalities within Objective Keyplan.
The funding awarded to these councils is a testament to the importance of technology in creating a more transparent and efficient planning system. Objective Keyplan is proud to be at the forefront of this transformation, enabling councils to make data-driven decisions that benefit their communities.

Andy Moy

Vice President of Objective Keyplan


These councils are now in the best position to deliver on the central government’s digital planning and the Levelling up Regeneration Act and the revised NPPF. Objective Keyplan is fully aligned with the government’s vision of prioritising a customer centric approach.

About Objective Corporation

We create software to make a difference.

Using Objective software, thousands of public sector organisations are shifting to being completely digital. Where our customers can work from anywhere; with access to information, governance guaranteed, and security assured.

Innovation is our lifeblood. We invest significantly in the ongoing development of our products to deliver outstanding solutions to the public sector and regulated industries.

The result – is stronger national and community outcomes; and accountability that builds trust in government.

Objective: www.objective.co.uk

Objective Keyplan: www.objective.co.uk/objective-keyplan