Accessing information and understanding the building, planning and consent processes is now easier for Coromandel locals, says the district council.

The Building, Planning and Consents section of the Thames-Coromandel District Council website has undergone a revamped recently, meaning it'll be easier and quicker to get projects underway.

The Thames-Coromandel District Council says a recent revamp of the Building, Planning and Consents section of its website will make it easier for local to find the information they need. Photo: File

Communications and Marketing Manager Laurna White says feedback gathered over the past six months suggested locals were struggling to find information.

'Also there was too much Council speak,” says Laurna. 'We needed to make it more customer-friendly in how these sections read and are laid out.

'It shouldn't take five clicks of your mouse to finally find out about something like whether you can turn a garage into a sleep-out or run a business from home.”

Council spoke to a wide spectrum of stakeholders including planners, builders, architects, engineers, event organisers as well as obtaining general customer feedback.

The Building, Planning and Consents section of the website now features a centralised main page with links to six areas of focus.

Those areas: Building or Selling a Property; Needing a Building or a Resource Consent; Subdivision; Affected persons; A comprehensive Q and A section; plus Quick access to all council forms and guides.

The content has been restructured to take you step-by-step through the process and help determine whether you need a building and/or resource consent.

'There's also embedded links in the content to also provide easy access to associated documentation.

'You can find the new Building, Planning and Consents section on the front page of our website, under ‘Popular pages' or under ‘Our Services'.”

Laurna adds that if you're thinking about renovating, building or wanting to investigate sub-dividing, or developing it's a good idea to speak with council staff first before lodging your application.

Council provides a free Duty Planning service, plus Building staff are on hand to talk things over with you personally.

'Get in touch with them through our Customer Services team who will arrange a time for either a meeting at our Council offices or by phone.”

While they're confident they've got it right, Laurna says if there are still things you would like to see modified or improved council would be happy to hear from you.

To view the new and improved Building, Planning and Consents section visit: www.tcdc.govt.nz/regulatory

If you have any suggestions email them to Communications and Marketing Manager Laurna White at: laurna.white@tcdc.govt.nz