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Back Office

Our back-office solution MasterGov, is a fully featured and powerful software suite of 20+ modules. Designed for authorities to help improve planning processes, creating efficiencies and tackling application frustrations.

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Mobile Working

Our mobile working solution Jotter allows you to access important forms, capture detail and take photos when staff’s on site. Jotter means no more having to carry paper forms around with you, and it’s fully integrated with MasterGov.

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Cloud Hosting

We provide fully managed cloud hosting for our back office and mobile working solutions. This allows customers to access a full turnkey solution via a web browser. Built on the Microsoft Azure platform, the system requires no software install on the authorities' computers.

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MasterGov

Our back-office solution

The perfect back-office planning solution for your authority

MasterGov is a fully featured and powerful software suite of 20+ modules. Designed for authorities to help improve planning processes, creating efficiencies and tackling application frustrations.

Showcase of Mastergov modules by DEF Software in isometric view

Core Features

MasterGov is packed with common features available to all modules

Fully Integrated GIS Solution

MasterGov is supplied with QGIS GIS Solution, providing you with all the tools required for spatial data capture, analysis and constraint checking.

Built In Document Management System

MasterGov has its own Document Management System for storing letters, documents, certificates, emails and photographs relating to records stored in the database.

Workflow Driven Solution

Each MasterGov module comes with a workflow designer to enable individual workflows to be configured to facilitate the processes taken by our customers to process applications efficiently with MasterGov.

How MasterGov improves
your planning process...

All-in-one suite

Everything you need from Planning (Development Control), Building Control, Land Charges, Highways, Road Adoption, Environment, S106, CIL, SuDS and Licensing.

Setup your preferred workflow

Setup automated workflows through workflow to automate tasks, assign tasks and setup alert logs.

Dynamic tools & SSRS reports

Advanced reporting tools to help track your planning data and improve efficiency.

If you're interested in learning more, download our full software brochure and have a read.

Download software brochure

Explore MasterGov’s modules

Appeals

Although most Planning authorities handle only a limited number of Appeal cases, they still need to document every aspect meticulously. DEF Appeals is on hand to provide this level of required detail. As part of the MasterGov suite of applications, DEF Appeals is a full module with integrated links to both Planning and Enforcements.

Application Response

DEF Software’s Application Response was originally designed to allow Highways Development Control officers to register, recommend and respond to District and Borough Councils' Planning applications. These can be pre-application, outline or indeed any type of Planning application. The module does have a specific flag to denote pre-application so that it can be used for searching and reporting. Onc…

The MasterGov Biodiversity Net Gain module provides the functionality for the Local Authority to fulfil its obligation to monitor and / or inspect strategic Biodiversity Net Gain sites for 30 years following the approval of the planning application. Additionally the module will enable the authority to report this data (textual and spatial) to central government and Natural England.

Building Control

The MasterGov Building Control module is a comprehensive solution for managing the full life cycle of all Building Control applications including Initial Notices, Dangerous Structures, Demolitions and Partner Authority cases. The product also benefits from the Building Portal national Building Control submission system which allows the Council to take applications from applicants and agents in an…

Building Safety Levy

The Building Safety Levy module provides local authorities with a complete, end-to-end solution for managing the Building Safety Levy process with confidence and precision. From initial assessment through to statutory reporting, the module ensures accurate calculations, transparent workflows, and full compliance with legislative requirements. Designed to integrate seamlessly with existing Buildin…

County Planning

Designed specifically for county councils, the MasterGov County Planning module is a fully featured software solution for handling the full life cycle of a county planning application. The module is supplied with independent, yet fully integrated modules for Appeals and Enforcement. The Appeals module can process both Planning and Enforcement Appeals, with the latter having support for Enforcemen…

Enforcement

The system is supplied with an Enforcement module. This fully featured module allows the Council to manage the full life cycle of a complaint or monitoring case.

Housing

The MasterGov Private Sector Housing module is an end to end solution for managing the life cycle of a number of housing case record types including affordable housing, caravan licensing, disabled facilities grants, houses of multiple occupation, housing intervention, social lettings agency and empty homes.

Land Drainage

The Land Drainage module was originally written to meet the needs of the sustainable drainage system (SuDS) approval process with the ability to manage ordinary water course consenting. Although the SuDS approval process was abandoned in England in favour of a statutory consultation role for LLFA the module persisted for OWC, investigation, enquiries and enforcement. The module is now in use for…

Legal Agreements

The DEF Legal Agreements module was written as a direct response to authorities having difficulty managing their S106 agreements. The software has been specifically designed to manage pre-agreement discussions, record a completed or draft agreement and allow the authority to track each clause in respect of obligations and triggers. It is a true corporate solution for S106, supporting input from m…

Listed Building Register

A Listed Building register module is included with MasterGov. This module allows the Council to record the details of the listing along with the site address, description of the asset, date listed, grade, English Heritage reference number and designation.

Local Land Charges

DEF Software’s Land Charges module is a modern solution for handling LLC1 and CON29 searches. It provides the Council the maximum flexibility for maintaining and completing searches. The system allows the Council to configure and maintain search questions with ease. Users with suitable permissions can edit questions, meaning that if legislation changes, the questions can be amended without…

Local Land Charges Register

MasterGov's Land Charges Register module provides all of the tools needed to automate to collection of data from MasterGov modules such as Planning, Enforcements and Appeals into your Land Charges Register and then share it automatically with HMLR's national register.

NSIP

The Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects module allows the user to record key information on the progress of an application through the following key stages of the NSIP process, with each stage capable of recording key information pertinent to the specific stage: Acceptance Pre-Examination Examination Recommendation and Decision Post Decision

Planning

The MasterGov Planning module is a fully featured software solution for handling the full life cycle of a Planning application. The module is supplied with independent, yet fully integrated, modules for Appeals and Enforcement. The Appeals module can process both Planning and Enforcement appeals with the latter having support for Enforcement Grounds.

Policy Monitoring

The Policy Monitoring module is aimed at District and Unitary authorities in England and Wales. The product is site based and allows the council to manage their internal and statutory monitoring responsibilities for large and small housing developments as well as employment and retail sites.

Project Monitoring

The Project Monitoring module is a tool designed to integrate directly with Legal Agreements for the management of capital projects. The module shares obligations, triggers and financial transactions with Legal Agreements to make the allocation of monies to capital projects slick and transparent.

Road Adoption

The Road Adoption module was engineered from the ground up to meet the needs of managing section 38 and 278 agreements, as well as advance payment code (APC) applications. From registration, through technical approval, bond calculation, and the issuing of certificates, the module allows Councils to manage the full life cycle of an agreement.

Site Monitoring

Minerals and Waste Sites are recorded in the module, and Planning applications are linked to them during the registration process. The site record acts as a complete record with full details such as site name, site address, operator(s), site manager, monitoring officer, waste types, mineral types, Reg 3 type, ROMP details, linked history, conditions, and visits all being recorded. Once an applica…

Street Naming and Numbering

The Street Naming and Numbering Module manages the full life-cycle of naming and numbering streets and properties within the Local Authority boundary. Standard MasterGov tools such as GIS, Workflow, Document Management, and Alert/Reminder capabilities ensure that deadlines are met and the process runs smoothly.

Travel Plans

The Travel Plans module was specifically written to assist County and Unitary authorities in monitoring their ongoing travel plans. With tight integration with Application Response, the system allows officers to link the source planning records from which the monitoring is required.

Tree Preservation Orders

The suite is supplied with a dedicated Tree Preservation Order (TPO) module. The module allows the Council to register a TPO using a template order and consult with relevant parties. Full details of trees, including individual trees, areas, woodland, and groups can be recorded.

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