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What is the VEPs Project?
The Virtual Environmental Planning project (VEPs) is an alternative approach to planning consultation, allowing people to view and make comments on planning developments in three-dimensions (3D) within the context of an existing landscape or cityscape.
Many people find it difficult to:
- access and comment on planning proposals during office hours
- visualise what a development will look like from two-dimensional plans
- understand how planning decisions are made and how their comments are taken into account
By combining 3D views with discussion forums, VEPs allows people to freely explore and interact with 3D models and make comments directly via an online system. Anyone accessing the web application will be able to view these comments and share their own views online.
As the VEPs applications are web-based, they will be available 24 hours a day, enabling people to view and comment on proposals without visiting a local planning office. In the future, the VEPs technology will make it easier for people to have their say on how their community develops. VEPs may also make it easier for planning officers and politicians to make decisions on proposed developments that more fully reflect the views of local people.
The VEPs demonstrations are available online so please test them and have your say in how they develop.
View the demonstrations »
What can VEPs do for you?
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General Public
VEPs could be used in public planning consultation to help you:
- access information about the proposed development online
- view and explore the planning proposals in 3D
- comment on the proposed development online
- view and respond to comments made by others
- understand environmental information related to the development
- raise awareness of important local issues that may affect planning decisions.
The VEPs project will evaluate whether people find the VEPs prototypes useful and whether they would like to see this technology complement traditional planning consultation. Please view the demonstrations and let us know what you think.
Politicians
VEPs could be used to help make planning decisions by allowing you to:
- view and explore planning proposals in 3D
- understand and respond to the main issues of concern for the local community
- understand environmental planning issues and their importance
- have more confidence that your decisions more fully reflect the views of the community.
The VEPs project will evaluate whether people find the VEPs prototypes useful and whether they would like to see this technology complement traditional planning consultation. Please view the demonstrations and let us know what you think.
Planners
VEPs could be used to compliment traditional planning consultation approaches by helping you to:
- raise awareness of proposed planning developments to a wider audience via the web
- encourage people to explore and comment on planning proposals
- understand and assign weight to environmental planning issues and the concerns of the local community
- respond to specific comments made by the public
- present planning proposals and public responses to the Planning Committee.
The VEPs project will evaluate whether people find the VEPs prototypes useful and whether they would like to see this technology complement traditional planning consultation. The VEPs project is developing demonstrations of what the technology can deliver. In the future, this technology could exist as a stand-alone application that could be hosted on a Planning Authority website allowing planning information to be uploaded before it is publicly available for consultation. The applications could be used to present different planning options to the public or to obtain their views on draft proposals before planning applications are made. Please view the demonstrations and let us know what you think.
Government Agencies
VEPs could be used to publicise environmental planning issues helping you to:
- raise awareness of environmental issues with planners and the public
- present environmental information in 3D to help people understand issues of concern
- identify where environmental impact mitigation measures may be required and why
- make recommendations for environmental enhancements.
The VEPs project will evaluate whether people find the VEPs prototypes useful and whether they would like to see this technology complement traditional planning consultation. The VEPs project is developing demonstrations of what the technology can deliver. In the future, this technology could exist as a stand-alone application that could be hosted on a Government Agency website. Environmental information could be uploaded into the application which could either be made publicly available or used to improve communications between Government Agency departments and between Government Agencies and the Local Planning Authority. Please view the demonstrations and let us know what you think.
Planning Aid
VEPs could be used to compliment traditional planning consultation approaches by helping you to:
- explain planning proposals to the public
- encourage people to provide feedback on proposals or upload their own local knowledge
- help the local community understand environmental issues associated with the proposed development
- support the local community in proposing alternative solutions.
The VEPs project will evaluate whether people find the VEPs prototypes useful and whether they would like to see this technology complement traditional planning consultation. Please view the demonstrations and let us know what you think.