PostSubmission/PublishedApplication schema workflow

[apricot13]

Attempting to capture all the notes and issues brought up in the discussion about this!

Background info for context:

An application couldn't be commented on in the DPR immediately because in BOPS the consultation start date is set to the next working day. The DPR only shows the 'Add comment' button during the consultation period.

The current assumed workflow for a PostSubmission application is documented here. In the current schema an application is assumed to be set to published as soon as validation is complete, there is no 'its valid' state, only 'invalid'.

What happens in validation is not documented as it will likely vary across back office systems, 'valid' is "valid enough to be made public in this format"

The PostSubmission schema is designed to be used by applications internally as well as by others externally so long as the user/application is authenticated.

The PublishedApplication schema is (will be!) the same as the PostSubmission schema but with redaction (see #297) and is what the DPR and any other non authenticated user/applications will use.

Question

• What should the workflow for an application be?
• What do other back office systems do?
• When an application is validated should it immediately be published?
• If an application is valid is it then considered 'In assessment' with an optional consultation period during the assessment or is it considered 'Consultation in progress` (if there is one) or 'In assessment'

Other considerations

• What do other systems do?
• The consultation process in BOPS also includes sending letters and emails to neighbours and consultees, creating site notices and press notices not just publishing to an register and enabling comments
  • Do these steps need to be done at the same time or is there an agreed margin for difference?
• BOPS uses the next day as start date so currently an application validated (and published) at 9am and at 5pm would have the same start date and the same full 21+ days of consultation period
  • Does validating and publishing on a Friday mean that an application will start allowing comments on any registers at midnight but that letters, site notices and press notices may not get sent until Monday?
• If time were included in consultation start and end dates would this help or hinder matters?
  • Consultation start would be the same as validatedAt
  • The 'add comment' button would be removed from the application on the DPR at the precise time consultation starts and ends
• Should we have a Consultation due status on registers
  • Do all back office systems support this?
  • Would understanding the process, searching and filtering be made more complicated for users across multiple councils if some have Consultation due and others who don't?
  • Would seeing a Consultation due status affect users in any way - would need to test this
• How does this all work with notifications?

[BobbuTPX]

DPR was designed with the understanding that here is no delay between the publishing of an application and the start of consultation.

This is based on our prior conversations with Camden and Lambeth, as well as our reading of the legal requirements for planning application publicising and consultation. This appears to equate publishing in any way with the opening of a consultation.

So our preferred solution to this is that applications which need public consultations always have their consultation start date match their publish date. This is because consultation can be considered to start once it is available online for the public to comment on.

An application also needs to be public before letters/emails to any consultees or neighbours are sent, so that those communications can direct to the DPR entry. This means they should not be published after this event.