UK Planning Intelligence API — Applications, Constraints & Development Scoring
Planning data in the UK is fragmented across 300+ local planning authority portals, each with different formats and interfaces. The Planning Intelligence endpoint aggregates the Planning Data Platform, Natural England, MHCLG council statistics, and Environment Agency data into a single postcode query — with a proprietary Planning Development Score that synthesises constraint density, development momentum, council efficiency, and environmental designations into one actionable number.
What You Get
- •Planning Development Score (0-100)
- •Recent planning applications
- •Application approval/refusal rates
- •Conservation area status
- •Listed buildings with grade
- •Green Belt designation
- •Article 4 directions count
- •Tree Preservation Orders
- •Brownfield development sites
- •Council performance stats
Data Sources
Planning Data Platform
100+ planning datasets from DLUHC.
Natural England
SSSIs, AONBs, National Parks, SACs.
MHCLG Open Data Communities
Council approval rates, determination times.
Environment Agency
Flood risk for scoring.
Coal Authority
Mining and subsidence risk.
Scoring Algorithm
Planning Development Score
Weighted composite of 7 factors: constraint density (25%), development momentum (20%), environmental designations (15%), council efficiency (15%), brownfield opportunity (10%), flood risk (10%), mining risk (5%). Higher scores indicate greater development viability.
Use Cases
Property Development Feasibility
Developers assess planning viability before acquiring sites. The Planning Development Score quantifies constraint density, council efficiency, and development momentum in a single number — replacing weeks of manual planning research.
Planning Consultancy Pre-Application
Planning consultants use constraint data and approval rates to advise clients on application likelihood. Conservation areas, Article 4 directions, and listed buildings all affect what can be built and how.
Development Finance Due Diligence
Lenders financing development projects assess planning risk before committing capital. The constraint level, council performance stats, and development score feed directly into credit committee papers.
Property Investment Analysis
Investors evaluating sites for development potential use the Planning Development Score to compare locations. Higher scores indicate fewer constraints and stronger development momentum.
Example
Request
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \ "https://www.ukdatapi.com/api/v1/planning/SW1A%201AA?depth=standard"
Response
{
"data": {
"location": { "postcode": "SW1A 1AA", "local_authority": "Westminster" },
"development_score": {
"score": 22,
"rating": "CONSTRAINED",
"confidence": "high",
"factors": [
{ "factor": "constraint_density", "score": 15, "weight": 0.25 },
{ "factor": "development_momentum", "score": 35, "weight": 0.20 },
{ "factor": "environmental_designations", "score": 10, "weight": 0.15 },
{ "factor": "council_efficiency", "score": 40, "weight": 0.15 },
{ "factor": "brownfield_opportunity", "score": 20, "weight": 0.10 },
{ "factor": "flood_risk", "score": 85, "weight": 0.10 },
{ "factor": "mining_risk", "score": 95, "weight": 0.05 }
]
},
"constraints": {
"conservation_area": true,
"listed_buildings_nearby": 12,
"green_belt": false,
"article_4_directions": 3,
"constraint_level": "restricted"
},
"applications": [
{ "reference": "24/01234/FULL", "description": "Rear extension to dwelling", "status": "approved", "date": "2025-11-15" },
{ "reference": "24/02345/FULL", "description": "Change of use from office to residential", "status": "pending", "date": "2026-01-20" }
],
"council_performance": { "approval_rate_pct": 78 }
}
}Pricing
| Depth | Credits |
|---|---|
| Summary | 4 |
| Standard | 12 |
| Full | 24 |
Related Endpoints
GET /api/v1/location/{postcode}
UK Postcode Intelligence API
Profile any UK postcode: crime rates, flood risk, food hygiene, demographics, earnings, health indicators. 7 government sources in one call.
GET /api/v1/property/{postcode}
UK Property Intelligence API
Property due diligence API: price history from Land Registry, EPC energy ratings, planning constraints, flood risk, and Environmental Risk Score. From £0.01/call.
GET /api/v1/environment/{postcode}
UK Environmental Risk API
Environmental due diligence API: flood risk, ground stability, shrink-swell clay, radon, water quality, and composite Environmental Risk Score. Replaces £20-50 Landmark searches.
GET /api/v1/market/{postcode}
UK Market Intelligence API
Market research in an API call: labour market data, property prices, competitor density, and Market Opportunity Score. TAM analysis from £0.01/call.