Public data. Honestly described.
Where the data comes from, how often it updates, what we know is missing, and how we handle the information you give us.
The Data
Public records. Structured and connected.
planning.data.gov.uk
Planning application decisions from all English LPAs, normalised into a consistent schema.
Updated: Varies by LPA — typically monthly. Some London LPAs lag by 3–6 months.
HMLR CCOD/OCOD
HM Land Registry Corporate and Overseas Ownership datasets, used to resolve corporate and leasehold ownership chains.
Updated: Quarterly.
Companies House
Director and shareholder relationships used to trace beneficial ownership through corporate structures.
Updated: Monthly.
UPRN (GeoPlace)
Unique Property Reference Numbers used to resolve site identifiers consistently across all data sources.
Updated: Annual refresh.
Known Limitations
LPA data lag
Some London LPAs publish decisions weeks after issue. Approvl reflects source data as received — not real-time.
Residential freehold ownership
HMLR OCOD covers leasehold and corporate freeholds only. Privately-held residential freeholds are not in the public dataset and cannot be resolved.
Coverage at launch: London LPAs only. Full England coverage in 2026.
Your Data
What we collect. What we don't.
What we collect
The only personal data we collect is the email address you submit when requesting early access.
What we don't
We don't track you across sites. We don't run advertising pixels. We don't sell or share your data. Basic server logs (IP address, request path) are retained for security purposes only.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR you can request access, correction, or deletion of any data we hold about you. Full details in our Privacy Policy.
Request Early Access
Built on every UK planning application submitted since 2010, connected by the entities behind every decision.