First, which job are you doing?
- “Will my application be approved, and how long will it take?” → research tools (PlanningLens, Planda).
- “I need a professional intelligence layer for development work.” → Searchland.
- “What’s being filed near my home?” → alerts (PlanWatch, council services).
- “What’s the status of one specific application?” → the council portal.
- “I want the raw data / an API.” → planning.data.gov.uk, PlanIt.
- “I’m ready to submit.” → Planning Portal, Planda Portal.
1. PlanningLens
This site. PlanningLens analyses 3,800,000+ decided planning applications from 310+ council portals across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Enter a postcode and see the approval rate for applications like yours nearby, decision times against the 8-week target, and a free property-specific report — no signup, no payment. National rankings and a decision-time league table give context, every figure links back to the council record, and aggregate numbers are validated against the government’s MHCLG statistics (our Canterbury householder figures landed within two points of the official number).
What it doesn’t do: predict a single outcome, send alerts, or submit your application. It shows you the evidence; you draw the conclusion.
2. Planda
An AI-powered planning suite (part of Serac Group). Its consumer Property Report costs £12 and gives an approval-likelihood estimate with tailored recommendations; it states it has analysed 10M+ applications across 350+ council datasets. Planda also runs a submission portal with pre-validation and sells analytics to estate agents, architects and councils. See our full PlanningLens vs Planda comparison.
What to know: it’s paid, and it packages the data into a predictive report rather than showing you the underlying records. No tool can guarantee an outcome, so treat any single “approval likelihood” as an estimate.
3. Searchland
A B2B planning and land intelligence platform with a live LPA approvals leaderboard running year-by-year from 2011, plus site-sourcing, ownership and constraint data. Built as a working intelligence layer for professionals rather than a one-off homeowner check, and priced as a professional subscription.
What it doesn’t do: serve the casual homeowner. For a single “what are my chances” question it’s far more (and more expensive) than you need — that’s where the free research tools fit.
4. PlanWatch (and council alert services)
PlanWatch shows recently submitted applications within a postcode radius and offers email alerts — useful for objecting within the 21-day consultation window. Many councils also run their own free alert services, worth checking first. See our PlanningLens vs PlanWatch comparison and full PlanWatch alternatives guide.
What it doesn’t do: tell you approval rates or how your council compares — it’s monitoring, not analysis.
5. Your council’s planning portal
Every local planning authority publishes its applications online. This is the authoritative source for documents, drawings, officer reports, consultation deadlines and decision notices, and where you formally comment or object.
What it doesn’t do: give you context. Portals list applications one at a time — no approval rates, no national comparison, no decision-time benchmarking.
6. planning.data.gov.uk & PlanIt
planning.data.gov.uk is MHCLG’s official open-data platform for England; PlanIt (planit.org.uk) is an independent UK-wide aggregator with a free API. Both are aimed at people comfortable working with raw data rather than a consumer interface.
What they don’t do: answer questions for you. They’re data infrastructure, not analysis — no postcode-level “what are my chances” view.
7. Planning Portal (& Planda Portal)
The Planning Portal is the national service through which most applications in England and Wales are submitted, with official fee and permitted-development guidance. Planda Portal is a newer alternative that adds AI pre-validation before submission.
What they don’t do: research. These are submission tools — do your homework on approval rates first, then come here.
Everything at a glance
| Tool | Job | Approval-rate data | Alerts | Submission | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PlanningLens | Research | Yes — free, traceable | No | No | Free |
| Planda | Research + submit | In a paid report | No | Yes (Portal) | From £12 |
| Searchland | Pro intelligence | Yes (B2B) | Some | No | Subscription |
| PlanWatch | Alerts | No | Yes | No | Free / paid tracking |
| Council portal | Official record | No | Often | Some councils | Free |
| planning.data.gov.uk | Open data | Raw only | No | No | Free |
| Planning Portal | Submission | No | No | Yes | Free to browse |
So which should you use?
If you’re a homeowner weighing up an application, start free with PlanningLens to see the actual approval rates and decision times for your area; pay for a packaged report or submission tool only once you know the lay of the land. If you’re a professional or developer, Searchland’s intelligence layer or Planda’s workflow tools may earn their cost. If you just want to watch your street, an alert service is the right tool. And whatever you use, your council’s portal remains the authoritative record for any individual application.
Last updated: June 2026. Descriptions of third-party services are based on their publicly available pages as of June 2026 and may change. All third-party services named are independent of, and unaffiliated with, PlanningLens.