The problem
Planning data in the UK is public. But it’s scattered across 300+ council websites, each running a different system with different formats. There’s no single place to see approval rates, refusal patterns, or how your area stacks up against the rest of the country.
So homeowners spend thousands on architect drawings before knowing whether their council is likely to say yes. A refused application can cost £4,000+. Most people only find that out after applying.
Why now
Construction costs are rising. Architect fees are rising. Planning application fees went up again in 2024. The cost of getting it wrong has never been higher.
At the same time, council portals are publishing more data than ever. The information to make smarter decisions is there — it just hasn’t been pulled together. Until now.
What we’re building
We collect and analyse real planning decisions from council portals across England, Scotland and Wales. 2,500,000+ decisions and counting.
Every number on this site comes directly from those records. No estimates. No modelling. No guesswork.
- Approval rates calculated from decided applications only
- Every result links back to the original council record — so you can verify any number yourself
- New decisions added weekly from live council portals
- 225+ councils covered and expanding every week
This is a living dataset, not a static snapshot. We’re actively adding councils, improving coverage, and refining how we classify decisions.
For the full technical detail, see our methodology.
Who’s behind this
I’m a data engineer based in the UK. PlanningLens started because I wanted to understand local approval patterns before applying for an extension. When I realised the data existed but nobody had pulled it together, it turned into something much bigger — and I’m still building it.
I build and maintain the scrapers, the analysis pipeline, and the reports. Every decision in our database is collected directly from council planning portals using code I write and run.
PlanningLens is the tool I wish existed before I applied.
Why it matters
A refused application doesn’t just cost the £258 fee. Architect drawings, structural surveys, consultant fees — you can be £4,000–£5,000 down with nothing to show for it.
PlanningLens helps you understand the patterns before you spend that money. Not instead of professional advice. Before you invest in it.
For journalists and press
We can provide planning data, approval rate breakdowns, regional comparisons, and case studies across 218+ UK councils. Covering planning, housing, or development? We’d love to hear from you.
Last updated: March 2026