Planning Inspectorate

The Planning Inspectorate oversees planning appeals, national infrastructure applications, and local plan examinations across England and Wales. With inspectors operating nationwide, they required a structured way to manage and schedule casework efficiently. Norton Studios was engaged to prototype a solution and assess the feasibility of an in-house system versus a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product.

Problem

The existing scheduling process lacked automation, making it difficult to efficiently assign casework based on inspector availability, location, and expertise.

Solution

Norton Studios:

• Developed and deployed a rapid prototype using Node.js and Nunjucks, leveraging GOV.UK frontend libraries.

• Implemented novel algorithms to optimise case scheduling by case age, location, and inspector specialism.

• Integrated with Azure Graph API for automatic calendar scheduling and GOV.UK Notify for casework reminders.

Impact

✅ Improved decision-making – Provided the Inspectorate with clear insights into the benefits of building vs. buying a scheduling system.
✅ Enhanced scheduling efficiency – Demonstrated how automation could streamline case assignments and reduce administrative overhead.
✅ Future-ready approach – Showed the potential for a fully integrated, data-driven case management system.

The prototype exceeded expectations, highlighting the value of a tailored scheduling solution and influencing the Planning Inspectorate’s long-term technology strategy.