Parish council planning applications, in your clerk's inbox the day they are filed
Planning alerts for parish and town councils: hear about new planning applications in your parish in a daily email, track decisions and export lists for your planning committee, so the clerk has as much of the consultation period as possible to prepare a response.
From £4.99/month or £49/year, plus VAT, which most parish and town councils can reclaim. Cancel anytime.
Hearing about applications late costs you time to respond
Your local planning authority consults the parish on applications in its area, but notifications can arrive late, land in a busy inbox or be missed. Every day lost is a day less to read the plans, put the application on an agenda and agree a response.
How a parish clerk tracks planning applications in the parish
The district or unitary council decides every planning application, and it consults your parish or town council on the ones in your area. You get 21 days to put a response on the agenda, agree it and send it in. Parish council planning works best when the clerk sees an application the day it is filed, not the day a letter arrives.
Planning Signal gives your clerk one place for every parish council planning application. Choose your parish by postcode, or follow a whole town, and one email a day lists what is new, with the address, the proposal and a link to the council's own page for comments. Watch the applications on your committee's agenda and you are emailed when their status changes or a decision is made.
When the committee meets, export the list as a CSV and work through it line by line. When a neighbouring parish is affected by a large scheme, follow it too: place alerts are unlimited. Councillors who just want to know what is happening nearby can set up free planning alerts for themselves.
Everything your parish clerk needs
Daily email alerts
One email a day when new applications are published in your parish, so the clerk sees them early and has as much of the consultation period as possible to prepare a response.
Your parish, however it is drawn
Follow your parish by postcode, by town or by the whole district council. Add as many areas as you need, so a parish split across postcodes is still covered.
Everything in one place
Each application's description, status, location and decision, with a link to the council's own page for the documents and for submitting comments.
Decision tracking
Watch up to 100 applications and get an email when their status changes or a decision is made, so you can tell residents promptly.
Search and export
Search up to 10km, filter by type, and export results to a spreadsheet for the planning committee's papers.
Share with your councillors
The clerk manages the account and can forward the alert emails to councillors, so everyone sees the same list before the meeting.
How clerks use it
Set up your parish
Add alerts for your parish's postcodes, towns or the whole district council.
Read the daily email
New applications arrive once a day, with a link to each one and the council's own page.
Brief councillors
Forward the email or export a list for the agenda, and watch the applications you will respond to.
Comment and follow up
Submit the council's response through the planning authority's own page, then get an email when a watched application is decided.
Where your council fits in
Parish and town councils are consulted on planning applications in their area and can comment on them, but the decision is made by the local planning authority (usually the district, borough, city or unitary council).
Councils usually allow at least 21 days for comments once an application is publicised. Re-consultation on amended plans is often shorter. The dates that apply are set by your local planning authority, and its notice or website shows them for each application.
Comments carry the most weight when they address planning matters, such as design, highway safety, overlooking or the character of the area.
Priced for parish council budgets
Research plan access (wider search, filters, CSV export, decision tracking and email alerts) at a rate that fits within a typical parish precept.
This plan is for parish and town councils. Tell us your council and we'll confirm it, usually the same day.
Already on our free planning alerts? Keep them: the community rate builds on them, and every place alert stays free.
Common questions from parish clerks
How can a parish clerk track planning applications?
Add your parish by postcode and you get one email a day listing every new planning application in it, with a link to the council's own page for comments. Watch the applications your committee is dealing with and you are emailed when their status changes or a decision is made.
How long does a parish council have to comment on a planning application?
Councils give parish councils 21 days to respond once they consult. Hearing about the application on the day it is filed gives your clerk the most of that time to read the plans, table it at a meeting and agree a response.
What does the community rate add to free alerts?
Free alerts are a great start: they tell your clerk what is applied for in the parish. The community rate gives you everything the committee works from: search up to 10km, filters, CSV export for committee papers and decision tracking on up to 100 applications. Your free place alerts keep running alongside it.
Is this only for parish councils with an elected council?
No. It is available to all civil parishes, whether you have an elected parish council, a parish meeting or a town council, and to community councils in Wales and Scotland.
How do we pay? Can we pay by invoice?
You can pay by card online. Prices exclude VAT, which is added at checkout; parish and town councils can generally reclaim it under section 33 of the VAT Act 1994 (check with your clerk or responsible financial officer). A VAT invoice is available to download from your account settings. For multi-year or other arrangements, contact us.
Can we follow several parishes or areas?
Yes. Add an alert for each postcode, town or council area you need. Place alerts are unlimited on every plan.
Can councillors see the alerts?
The clerk typically manages the account and forwards the alert emails to councillors. The subscription covers the whole parish council.
Do we hear about decisions?
Yes, for the applications you watch: you can watch up to 100 and we email you when their status changes or a decision is made.
What if our district council is not covered?
We cover most UK planning authorities. Search your parish's postcode to see recent applications there. If your council seems missing or out of date, tell us and we will look into it.
Do we qualify for the community rate?
The community rate is for parish councils, town councils and community councils in Wales and Scotland. It is not available to district councils or commercial organisations. Tell us your council when you sign up and we'll confirm it, usually the same day, then checkout opens.