East Sussex based Rother District Council has launched an online mapping service in order to share essential service information with citizens

Using eGGP, the mapping to web solution from GGP Systems, visitors to the council's website can search, view and query detailed planning information including planning applications, planning constraint information and the CouncilâTMs development plan. The easy to use online mapping solution is also enabling Rother District Council to release the power of their GGP Geographical Information System (GIS) throughout the organisation and to residents via Community Help Points and Information Points.

Rother District Council is located in the most eastern part of East Sussex, sharing a border with the county of Kent. With the exception of the administrative centre of Bexhill-on-Sea and the historic towns of Battle and Rye the district is mainly rural making communication with and delivery of services to the 90,000 residents sometimes challenging.

GGP was initially used to share essential council service information with users throughout the organisation via the Council Intranet, said Richard Gagen, Lead Technical Officer at Rother District Council. This service was then rolled out to include front line personnel at our Community Help Points in Bexhill, Battle and Rye and then to a further eight Information Points located throughout the district. By making information accessible to residents where and when they want it we are really moving towards our Customer First
goal.

eGGP is used by Rother District Council to disseminate a range of service information linked through the integration of GGP GIS and the Councils Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG), back office systems and e-government solutions. Currently users of the Councils website can access planning applications dating back to 2003, details of conservation areas, tree preservation orders, listed buildings and other constraints to planning together with the Councils Local Plan. Users of the intranet based service and remote terminals can access additional service information.

The Council has been a long-term user of GIS having first introduced GGP GIS in the planning department as a new media substitute for paper based records and processes. A modernising planning report led to the capture and conversion to digital information of planning applications dating back to 1947 and planning constraint records and information. Further developments, including the integration of aerial photography, have led to the roll out of GIS to other departments and users.