Planning research
Understand the local planning record before testing an idea.
Planning potential is not a postcode-wide approval rate. It depends on the property, the proposed work, local decisions, relevant policy and the reasons attached to comparable cases.
Evidence connected
- Applications at the subject property
- Nearby planning applications and decisions
- Approval conditions and refusal reasons
- Property and area constraints
- Readable application documents
A useful precedent is similar for a reason—not simply nearby.
Distance matters, but so do property type, proposal, scale, street character, decision date and the wording in the officer’s report. Propeteer organises the local record so an approval, refusal or condition can be read in context rather than treated as a simple vote.
01
Start with the subject property
The planning history at the address can reveal previous extensions, changes of use, withdrawn proposals and conditions that still shape what may be possible. It can also show whether apparently similar work has already been considered for the same building.
Address matching needs care. Flats, renamed buildings, number suffixes and neighbouring plots can otherwise be merged into one history. Stable property identifiers and exact address components help keep the subject record separate.
- Distinguish the property from neighbouring or subdivided addresses
- Keep withdrawn and pending applications separate from decided cases
- Retain application references so the underlying record can be checked
02
Compare genuinely similar proposals
A rear extension is not automatically comparable with every rear extension in the same radius. Depth, height, roof form, relationship to neighbours, conservation status and the type of property can materially change the planning judgement.
Propeteer ranks local cases by proposal similarity, location, recency and available documentary evidence. The aim is to find decisions that help explain the council’s local approach, not inflate the sample with unrelated records.
- Separate loft, rear, side, roof, change-of-use and tree-work cases
- Weight recent and well-documented decisions more strongly
- Show limited evidence when the decided sample is too small
03
Read conditions as part of the outcome
An approval with conditions is not the same as an unrestricted approval. Obscure glazing, privacy screens, matching materials, hours of work and approved drawing requirements can materially change how a scheme must be designed or delivered.
Refusal reasons are equally important. Repeated concerns about overlooking, daylight, massing, character or parking can identify the parts of a proposal that need redesign before an application is submitted.
- Count unconditional approvals, conditional approvals and refusals separately
- Surface recurring restrictions instead of hiding them in documents
- Keep pending cases outside the decided approval rate
04
Check constraints before drawing a conclusion
A nearby approval may not transfer to a listed building, conservation area or property affected by an Article 4 direction. Flood risk, protected trees, heritage setting and local design policies can also change the route and supporting evidence required.
Open data coverage varies by authority and dataset. A result of no records returned is not proof that no constraint exists, so the research should identify coverage gaps and direct the user to an official search where necessary.
- Distinguish no match from confirmed absence
- Flag designation and policy uncertainty
- Treat the result as research support, not a planning determination
Questions this research helps answer
Does a high local approval rate mean my scheme is likely to succeed?
Not by itself. The decided sample must be relevant to the same kind of work and property. Conditions, refusal reasons and local constraints may be more useful than the headline percentage.
Why are pending applications excluded from the approval rate?
They do not yet have an outcome. Including them would make the success rate look better or worse without evidence of a decision.
What makes one application a strong precedent?
Similarity of proposal, building and setting; a recent decision; readable supporting documents; and a clear officer or decision record all strengthen its relevance.
Can planning research replace an official council search?
No. It helps organise the available evidence and identify questions, but formal searches and professional planning advice remain appropriate where the decision depends on complete records or policy interpretation.
Continue the research
See the property from another angle.
Start with an address
Put the evidence around a property in one place.