@unknownuser said:
Here in London we have a similar system in place now through a planning portal. We can get most forms by email and send documentation in either PDF or DXF to local councils who are participating. It has helped speed things up and streamlined the system a little bit.
until you get a phone call a week down the line asking for paper copies becuase the Council plotter is broken!!! (i joke not)
The only benefit to the architect is a saving in paper and ink. The Council prints off 6 copies when they receive them anyway. In the words of most planners "i can't work from PDFs, i like to see hard copies".
I've found the whole process of the planning portal to be completely above and beyond the comprehension of most LAs