Planning check for a property

Search an address to see planning designations such as conservation areas and listed buildings, plus nearby applications where Planning Data holds them. This check covers England only, and coverage varies by council.

What a report shows

Designations recorded by Planning Data at the postcode location, such as conservation areas and listed buildings
Other recorded constraints where present, such as Article 4 direction areas, green belt and tree preservation zones
Listed buildings recorded on the plot and nearby, with grade and distance, where available
The conservation area and national park recorded for the property, where available
Nearby planning applications that Planning Data holds, searched within roughly 250 metres of the postcode centre
The source, coverage note and check date for each section

What it does not show

It is not a planning decision and cannot say whether permission is needed or likely. Ask the council or a planning professional.
England only. For Wales, use the council's register and Cadw's Cof Cymru.
Results relate to the postcode area, not your legal boundary. A record may not apply to the building, and a blank does not mean there are no restrictions.
Application coverage varies by council and the list can be empty. The council's planning register is the fuller record.
Listed building records are single map points, so a listing can sit some distance from a house it covers. Use the National Heritage List for England for the answer.
It does not show a house's full planning history, enforcement action or building regulations sign-off. Use the council's register, the seller's documents and your conveyancer's searches.

What to do with the results

Treat the results as a starting list of things to confirm. If a conservation area appears, check the boundary with the council and read what it means for planning. If a listed building appears, or the house looks old enough, use the official register as set out in is my house listed.

Nearby applications are a prompt to look further. Open the council's own map search, where you can read the plans and see schemes that national data does not hold.

Check the history of the house itself

A report looks at the postcode area. To test what has been done to one house, search the council register and compare it with the building. How to check planning permission on a house walks through this, including what to ask when an extension has no record.

Your conveyancer's local authority search adds the council's formal replies. See what searches you need when buying.

Why a blank result is not an all-clear

Planning Data warns that its data may be incomplete and may not yet cover all of England. Its conservation area dataset is described as a work in progress, and its planning application dataset as not yet ready for use. Councils supply data at different speeds, so a section can be empty for reasons that have nothing to do with the property.

A report says how complete each section is, so you can see what was checked and what still needs confirming.

Questions, answered

Does this tell me if I can extend the house?

No. It shows recorded designations and applications, which can point to extra limits. Whether a project needs permission depends on the house, its history and the council, so ask the council or a planning professional.

Does the planning check cover Wales?

No. Planning Data covers England, so a report for a Welsh address does not include planning records. Use the council's register and Cadw's Cof Cymru.

Why might a nearby application be missing?

National application data is incomplete and varies by council, and the search area is small. Permitted development never appears because no application is made. Check the council's register.

Is this the same as a local authority search?

No. A report brings public data together for research. A local authority search is carried out for the purchase through your conveyancer and includes the council's formal replies.

Sources

Last checked 4 November 2026. General guidance for England and Wales, not legal, financial or survey advice.