Cumbria County Council (UK) has been awarded full marks for the way it provides electronic access to its planning services. Government consultants awarded the council 21 points for a new system that allows planning applications to be submitted online.

Since the e-planning website was launched in December, under half of all planning applications have been made via the council's website.

Councillor John Robinson, chairman of the development control and regulation committee, said: “Cumbria has shown massive improvements in the way it processes planning information electronically.

“When the first assessment was carried out in September 2004, we scored seven points out of a possible 21. “To have reached the maximum 21 points within eight months shows just how committed we are to making sure access to the council's planning services is just a click away.”