Data Sources & Editorial Standards

PlanningChecker is an independent site. We are not a local authority and the records displayed here are not the legal record of any planning application. The council portal is always the source of truth. What we do is take that public data and present it in a form that is easier to search, share and read.

Where the data comes from

Application records shown on PlanningChecker are derived from public planning registers published by the following local authorities:

• Bromsgrove District Council — the public planning register at publicaccess.bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk.
• Redditch Borough Council — the public planning register at publicaccess.bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk.

Both councils operate a shared planning service, so the underlying register is a single system covering both districts. Every application page on this site includes a direct link back to the corresponding record on the council portal so you can always cross-check what you see here against the authoritative source.

What we publish and what we do not

For each application we mirror:

• The application reference number.
• The site address as recorded by the council.
• The applicant's description of the proposal.
• The date the application was received.
• The current status shown on the register.
• A link back to the council record and any supporting documents.

We do not host the applicant's own drawings, supporting statements, officer reports or decision notices. Those documents belong to the council and are only ever accessed directly from the council portal.

How often we refresh

The dataset is refreshed on a rolling schedule from the public register. New applications typically appear on PlanningChecker within one working day of registration. Status changes and decision notices are picked up on the next refresh after the council portal has been updated. If a change is time-critical — for example, you need to know whether an application has been decided today — the council portal will reflect it first.

How we categorise applications

Councils use a short application-type code (such as /FUL, /LBC, /S211, TPO). We classify each record into one of thirteen plain-English categories — for example, "Householder application", "Listed Building Consent", or "Tree Preservation Order work" — based on that code together with keyword patterns in the applicant's description. Categorisation is a helpful signpost, not a legal characterisation of the application, and rare edge cases may sit better in a different category than the one we display.

Statutory decision periods

Where a "Target decision by" date is displayed on an application page, it is calculated from the received date plus the statutory period for that category of application (eight weeks for minor and householder applications, thirteen weeks for major applications, and so on). Councils regularly agree an extension of time with applicants, in which case the actual decision may fall later than our calculated target. The council portal will show any extension of time formally agreed on the case.

Accuracy and corrections

We take reasonable care to reflect the public register accurately. Because we depend on an upstream data source we cannot guarantee that every field will always match the current state of the council record — during a refresh window there may be minutes or hours of drift. Anything on this site should be verified against the council portal before it is used to take a formal step (such as submitting an objection, applying to appeal, or acting on a decision).

If you spot an error on a page — a wrong address, an outdated status, a misclassified application, or content that appears to have been mirrored incorrectly — please tell us via the contact form and we will correct it or, where appropriate, take the page down. We aim to respond to correction requests within two working days.

Copyright and reuse

Planning application text is a public record. We display it here for the purpose of making the register easier to search and read. Site design, categorisation, editorial writing (including the guides at /guides) and derived content are © PlanningChecker.

Who runs PlanningChecker

PlanningChecker was started in 2025 by a Bromsgrove and Redditch resident after a personal experience with the difficulty of finding and commenting on a planning application on their own street. See the About page for more on the story behind the site. Editorial and correction enquiries: via the contact form.