Contacting the Council’s Planning and Building Standards Office in Lochaber

From Thursday 6 December The Highland Council is changing the way people in Lochaber can get in touch with their Planning and Building Standards Office. 
Since early this year the Council has trialled new approaches for managing customer contact, both to improve efficiency and the customer experience.   The Ross and Cromarty, Sutherland, Skye and Inverness Area Planning and Building Standards offices now operate appointment systems and channel first-time customer contact through the Council’s Customer Services Network.
Following on from this successful trial, this approach will now be rolled out on a phased basis across the whole Highland area, with the Lochaber area coming on board from 6th December 2012. 

The trial has proved that this will not only help the public by improving customer service and efficiency but will free up the time of specialist staff to focus on processing current and pending planning and building standards cases.
Therefore, from 6th December 2012 all general Planning or Building Standards enquiries for the Lochaber area, including updates on the progress of applications or requests for appointments, will be handled, in the first instance, through the councils Customer Services Network, by advisors trained in resolution of Planning and Building Standards queries.  ‘Duty Officers’ for both Planning and Building Standards will also be available to deal with more complex enquiries or to book an appointment with the relevant case officer.  From this date the reception at Fulton House will be closed to members of the public unless they have made an appointment to see a member of the team.

Stuart Black, Director of The Highland Council’s Planning and Development Service said: “Research has shown that the majority of first time enquiries to planning and building standards offices are simple requests for forms, support in the application process or progress updates on pending applications.  We believe these types of enquiries can be dealt with more efficiently and effectively via the Customer Services Network, leaving the specialists in the service to deal with current and pending cases.”

For current and pending cases, agents and customers should continue to contact the relevant case officer directly.  To book an appointment or contact the Planning and Building Standards Area Office you should now call 01349 886608.