From the new year all applications received by the Development Management Service (Planning), Ceredigion County Council, will be on-line resulting in no paper files in the office.

It is believed that Ceredigion Planning Authority will be one of the first in Wales to venture into going truly paperless.

A council spokesman said: "It’s taken years of hard work and dedication to reach this point, and it’s inevitable that there will be hiccups in the early days as we grasp the concept.

"However, the breakthrough will result in a significant decrease in the departments expenditure and admin workload to move towards smarter ways of working."