Data Dictionary

Describes the record structure and field names in data returned by the API

Planning Applications

Top level planning application data fields
These fields are always returned but can be null if the source is missing and/or there is no information to make the classification. Fields which are derived or extracted from other source fields are marked with an asterisk.

  • address -> Postal address or location of the property to which the planning application applies
  • app_size* -> Size of the proposed development (derived from 'n_statutory_days, 'n_documents', 'n_dwellings', 'app_type')
    • Large Major, large scale developments
    • Medium Other applications involving multiple dwellings
    • Small All others
  • app_state* -> Decision status for the application (derived from 'decision', 'decided_date', 'status')
    • Undecided The application is currently active, no decision has been made
    • Permitted The application was approved
    • Conditions The application was approved, but conditions were imposed
    • Rejected The application was refused
    • Withdrawn The application was withdrawn before a decision was taken
    • Referred The application was referred to government or to another authority
    • Unresolved The application is no longer active but no decision was made eg split decision
    • Other Status not known
  • app_type* -> Type of the application (derived from 'application_type', 'development_type', 'id_type', 'description')
    • Full Full and householder planning applications
    • Outline Proposals prior to a full application, including assessments, scoping opinions, outline applications etc
    • Amendment Amendments or alterations arising from existing or previous applications
    • Conditions Discharge of conditions imposed on existing applications
    • Heritage Conservation issues and listed buildings
    • Trees Tree and hedge works
    • Advertising Advertising and signs
    • Telecoms Telecommunications including phone masts
    • Other All other types eg agricultural, electrical
  • associated_id* -> Potential identifier(s) of other associated application(s) from the same planning authority (space separated, extracted using pattern matching rules from the 'description' field and can be supplied in source)
  • altid -> Any alternative identifier(s) for the application (alternative to 'uid' and 'reference' see below) (eg historical identifier)
  • area_id -> Identifier for the planning authority of this application
  • area_name -> Short name of the planning authority of this application
  • consulted_date* -> Date consultation expired (the latest of the 'consultation_end_date', 'neighbour_consultation_end_date', 'last_advertised_date', 'latest_advertisement_expiry_date' or 'site_notice_end_date' fields - depending on which is available). (This and all other _dates are in YYYY-MM-DD format)
  • decided_date* -> Date decision reached (the earliest of the 'decision_date', 'decision_issued_date' or 'decision_published_date' fields - depending on which is available).
  • description -> The text describing the planning application proposal
  • distance -> Distance of the application from the centre, if returned as part of a location search (km)
  • last_changed -> When this API record was last altered (includes any change to source AND derived fields) (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS format) (Note this date time will change throughout the database when/if the rules for derived fields are changed)
  • last_different -> When the source information on the planning authority website was last found to have changed. (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS format)
  • last_scraped -> When the source information was last checked on the planning authority website. (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS format) (Note 'last_different' <= 'last_scraped') (Also note 'last_scraped' is NOT when the planning information was last updated on the source website)
  • link -> Link for accessing the planning application details locally on this website
  • location* -> The location of this application in GeoJSON Point format. Note use this field or the 2 below as the definitive longitude/latitude location of this application. The values are EITHER derived from 'lng' and 'lat' if available in 'other_fields' (rounded to 6 decimal places) OR looked up from any 'postcode' value (accurate to 6 significant digits).
  • location_x* -> The longitude value of 'location'
  • location_y* -> The latitude value of 'location'
  • name* -> UK wide unique name assigned to the application on this system (derived from 'scraper_name' and 'uid')
  • other_fields -> See below
  • postcode* -> Normalised full postcode (extracted from address field(s) if not supplied in source)
  • reference -> The latest unique identifier assigned to the application, if different from the 'uid' (usually this stays the same but can sometimes be changed in the source)
  • scraper_name -> The name of the scraper used to extract this planning information (often similar to 'area_name', but no spaces)
  • start_date* -> Date application made (the earliest of the 'date_received' or 'date_validated' fields - depending on which is available).
  • uid -> The unique identifier for this application when it was first discovered
  • url -> Link for accessing the planning application details remotely on the planning authority website

Secondary data in 'other_fields'
Note entries are optional, so will be missing if not present in the source

  • agent_address -> Address of the person or company acting for the planning applicant
  • agent_company -> Any company or partnership acting for the planning applicant
  • agent_name -> Name of the person or company acting for the planning applicant For Data Protection reasons this value is not stored but there is a note if it is available in the source
  • agent_tel -> Telephone number of the person or company acting for the planning applicant
  • appeal_date -> Date of any appeal (date the appeal process was started or registered)
  • appeal_decision_date -> Date of appeal decision (date the appeal process ended)
  • appeal_reference -> Identifier for any appeal
  • appeal_result -> The outcome of any appeal
  • appeal_status -> Current status of any appeal
  • appeal_type -> Type of any appeal
  • applicant_company -> Any company or partnership applying for the planning application
  • applicant_name -> Name of the person or company applying for the planning application For Data Protection reasons this value is not stored but there is a note if it is available in the source
  • applicant_address -> Address of the person or company applying for the planning application
  • application_type -> Type of planning application
  • application_expires_date -> Date on which the statutory period for a decision expires (8 weeks after date validated or 13 weeks for large applications) (see 'target_decision_date')
  • case_officer -> Name of the case officer For Data Protection reasons this value is not stored but there is a note if it is available in the source
  • comment_url -> Web address for comments on the planning application to be added by the publlic
  • comment_date -> Last date on which comments can be accepted
  • consultation_end_date -> Date that the consultation period ends
  • consultation_start_date -> Date that the consultation period starts (probably the same as the date validated / registered / statutory start date)
  • date_received -> Date the application was first received
  • date_validated -> Date the application was deemed valid. Also known as the statutory start date or the date of registration on the authority's register of planning applications
  • decided_by -> The committee / person / contact that made the decision or recommendation. Can be just an indication that it was 'Delegated' to a person or decided by a 'Committee'
  • decision -> The decision or recommendation made regarding the planning application
  • decision_date -> Date the determination was actually made
  • decision_issued_date -> Date decision was issued
  • decision_published_date -> Date decision was published
  • development_type -> Type of development proposed in the planning application
  • district -> Name of the geographical district for this application
  • docs_url -> Web address if the document details for this application are on a different website
  • easting -> British National Grid easting value (can be derived from OS grid square ref in 'address' if not supplied in source) (Irish National Grid in Northern Ireland)
  • first_advertised_date -> Date advertisement first appeared in press
  • id_type* -> An application type description extracted from the 'uid', 'reference' or 'altid' (if 'application_type' or 'development_type' do not exist)
  • last_advertised_date -> Date advertisement last appeared in press
  • lat* -> Latitude (N/S location cordinate, in range 48 to 62) (derived from 'northing' or 'latitude')
  • latest_advertisement_expiry_date -> Expiry date for responses from most recent advertisement
  • latitude -> WGS84 latitude value (if specified on the source website)
  • lng* -> Longitude (E/W location coordinate, in range -11 to 4) (derived from 'easting' or 'longitude')
  • longitude -> WGS84 longitude value (if specified on the source website)
  • map_url -> Web address for any online map showing the planning development
  • meeting_date -> Date of the planning committee meeting that will decide the application
  • n_constraints -> Number of constraints placed on this application
  • n_comments -> Number of comments made on this application
  • n_documents -> Number of documents associated with this application
  • n_dwellings* -> Number of housing units associated with this application (extracted using pattern matching rules from the 'description' field)
  • n_statutory_days* -> Statutory time period (in days) between registration and expected decision (usually 56, 91 or 112 days) (interval between the latest of the 'date_received' or 'date_validated' fields and the latest of the 'application_expires_date' or 'target_decision_date' fields)
  • neighbour_consultation_end_date -> Date that the neighbour consultation period ends (not necessarily the same as the main consultation period)
  • neighbour_consultation_start_date -> Date that the neighbour consultation period starts (not necessarily the same as the main consultation period)
  • northing -> British National Grid northing value (can be derived from OS grid square ref in 'address' if not supplied in source) (Irish National Grid in Northern Ireland)
  • parish -> Name of the local authority parish for this application (community council in Scotland and Wales)
  • permission_expires_date -> Date given planning permission expires (generally three years from the date granted)
  • planning_portal_id -> Some authorities list their planning application on the Planning Portal, this is the identifier (format PP-nnnnnnnn) (extracted from 'altid' field if not supplied in source)
  • site_notice_end_date -> Date that any site notice expired during the consultation period
  • site_notice_start_date -> Date that any site notice was first issued during the consultation period
  • source_url -> Web address for the authority's planning information website (where these data were scraped from) (see 'planning_url' in planning areas)
  • status -> Status of the application (which will change over its lifetime)
  • target_decision_date -> Date the decision is intended to be made in the future (see 'application_expires_date')
  • uprn -> The unique property reference number from the National Address Gazetteer
  • ward_name -> Name of the local authority electoral division/district for this application

Planning Areas

Data fields in planning area records

  • area_id -> Numerical identifier for this geographical or administrative area
  • area_name -> Short unique name of this geographical or administrative area
  • area_type -> Type of geographical or administrative area
    Possible values: 'Combined Planning Authority', 'Council District', 'Cross Border Area', 'Crown Dependency', 'English County', 'English District', 'English Region', 'English Unitary Authority', 'London Borough', 'Metropolitan Borough', 'Metropolitan County', 'National Park', 'Northern Ireland District', 'Other Planning Entity', 'Scottish Council', 'Welsh Principal Area', 'UK Nation'
  • borders -> The boundary of this area in GeoJSON Polygon or MultiPolygon format
  • gss_code -> ONS GSS identifier for this local authority or region
  • has_planning -> Set true if this area encloses other planning authorities within its borders
  • in_region -> The 'area_name' of any UK region this area is wholly enclosed by
    Possible values: 'Channel Islands', 'East England', 'East Midlands', 'Isle of Man', 'London', 'North East', 'North West', 'Northern Ireland', 'Scotland', 'South East', 'South West', 'Wales', 'West Midlands', 'Yorkshire and Humber'
  • is_planning -> Set true if this area is a planning authority
  • is_region -> The 'area_name' of the region if this area is a UK region
  • long_name -> Official name of this geographical or administrative area
  • mapit_code -> Identifier for this local authority or region on MapIt
  • min_date -> Earliest application 'start_date' field (if this is a planning authority)
  • max_date -> Latest application 'start_date' field (if this is a planning authority)
  • osm_rel_code -> Identifier for any relation defining the boundary of this area on OpenStreetMap
  • parent_name -> The 'area_name' of the geographical or administrative area that contains this one
  • planning_url -> Web address for the authority's current planning information website (see also 'source_url' in planning applications)
  • postcode_locations -> Number of applications with a 'location' derived from the postcode (if this is a planning authority)
  • scraper_name -> The name(s) of any scraper(s) used to extract the planning information for this area
  • scraper_type -> The type(s) of scraper(s) used to extract planning information from this source
  • snac_code -> ONS SNAC identifier for this local authority or region
  • total -> Number of applications available (if this is a planning authority)
  • valid_dates -> Number of applications with a valid 'start_date' field (if this is a planning authority)
  • valid_locations -> Number of applications with a valid 'location' value (if this is a planning authority)
  • url -> Web address for the area's main information website
  • whole_region -> Set true if this is an area covering the whole of a region