# UK Planning Applications Scraper: London & Idox Councils (`seaf999ield/uk-planning-applications`) Actor

UK planning applications scraper: new applications from all 35 London planning authorities via the Planning London Datahub and Idox Public Access council portals, with keyword filters and new application alerts. By RawTrader | UK Industry & Bills

- **URL**: https://apify.com/seaf999ield/uk-planning-applications.md
- **Developed by:** [RustonRoad](https://apify.com/seaf999ield) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Real estate, Business
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

Pay per event

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## UK Planning Applications Scraper: London & Idox Councils

**Get new UK planning applications (London plus supported Idox council portals) as structured data with keyword filters and new application alerts.**

### What it does

This actor collects new planning applications from the Planning London Datahub (all 35 London planning authorities) and from supported Idox Public Access council portals. Each row has the council, reference, address, proposal, status and key dates, and you can filter by keyword and get only new applications since your last run.

### Use cases: who it's for

- Builders, architects and trades looking for extension, loft and new build leads
- Property investors and developers watching what is proposed near a site
- Solar, HMO and planning consultants tracking applications by keyword

### Sample output

| council | reference | address | proposal | validatedDate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bexley (London) | 25/01657/FULM03 | Ikra Mulberry Way Belvedere Kent DA17 6AN | Application to approve details of conditions 8 (LEMP)8 an... | 2026-10-22 |
| Bexley (London) | 26/01914/FUL | 85 Downbank Avenue DA7 6RT | Application under Section 73 of the Town and Country Plan... | 2026-10-22 |
| Richmond (London) | PA26/3487 | 19 Cranmer Road Hampton Hill TW12 1DW | 19 Cranmer Road Permitted Development | 2026-10-19 |

*Real rows from a test run (shortened; the full output has more fields).*

### Price per 1,000 results

Main event: **`application-row` at $0.003 each**, so **1,000 results = $3.00**. Other events: `new-application` $0.008 each (only charged when that row type is output). See the Pricing tab for the current prices.

### Input example

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "councils": [
    "Hackney",
    "Camden",
    "rutland"
  ],
  "keywords": [
    "extension"
  ],
  "maxPerCouncil": 20
}
```

Get **new UK planning applications** as clean, structured data: reference, address, postcode, proposal, status, validated and decision dates, decision, application type, ward, coordinates and a link to the council's planning portal. You can filter by keyword (`extension`, `loft`, `change of use`, `HMO`, `solar`, `demolition`...) and date range. **New since last run** mode returns only applications you haven't seen yet, so it works as a daily lead feed.

Builders, architects, loft and extension firms, solar installers, surveyors, property investors and proptech teams use it to find homeowners and developers right after they apply for planning permission.

### Supported councils

| Source | Councils | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **Planning London Datahub** (Greater London Authority, official public API) | All **35 London planning authorities**: Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, City of London, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster, OPDC, OSDC | Updated daily by the boroughs. Has no applicant or agent names. Some boroughs (e.g. Bromley, Ealing) send very few records. |
| **Idox Public Access** portals | **Rutland** (verified) | Includes applicant, agent and case officer from the public "Further information" tab. |

You can name any other Idox Public Access council (about 220 are built in, e.g. `doncaster`, `south_kesteven`). Before searching, the actor reads that council's **robots.txt** and skips the council if crawling is disallowed or a bot challenge appears. Most English Idox councils currently disallow crawling, so expect those councils to come back as `skipped`. Run `mode: check_councils` to see live status. That check is free and gives one row per council.

Input shortcuts: `london` covers all London authorities, and `all` covers every supported council.

### Input

- **mode**: one of
  - `search`: every match in the date range.
  - `new_applications`: only applications not seen in earlier runs that used the same `monitorName`.
  - `check_councils`: a free support check.
- **councils**: names or keys, `london` or `all`.
- **dateType**: `validated` (default), `received` or `decision`.
- **daysBack**, or **startDate** and **endDate**.
- **keywords**: matched against the proposal text. Any keyword counts as a match. Leave empty to get everything.
- **maxPerCouncil** and **maxItems**: limits.
- **includeDetails** (Idox only): fetch applicant, agent, decision and case officer.

```json
{"mode": "new_applications", "monitorName": "london-lofts", "councils": ["london"], "daysBack": 7, "keywords": ["loft", "dormer", "rear extension"], "maxPerCouncil": 100}
```

### Output example

```json
{"council": "Hackney (London)", "reference": "2026/2195", "address": "120 First Floor Flat GREEN LANES HACKNEY N16 9EH", "postcode": "N16 9EH",
 "proposal": "Erection of a first-floor rear extension.", "status": "Application Under Consideration", "validatedDate": "2026-10-13",
 "decision": null, "applicationType": "All Other", "ward": "Clissold Ward", "uprn": "100021045155", "latitude": 51.555, "longitude": -0.0893,
 "portalUrl": "https://developmentandhousing.hackney.gov.uk//planning/index.html?fa=getApplication&id=86389", "matchedKeyword": "extension"}
```

Every run also saves a `RUN_SUMMARY` record in the key value store, with the status of each council.

### Pricing explained (pay per event)

| Event | Price |
|---|---|
| `application-row`: an application returned in search mode, or in the first (baseline) monitor run | $0.003 |
| `new-application`: an application not seen in earlier runs (monitor mode) | $0.008 |

Example: 1,000 London applications cost $3.00. A daily London extension monitor that finds about 50 new applications a day costs about $0.40 a day.

### Responsible use, data and legal notes

- **Public data only.** No logins and no CAPTCHA or bot challenge bypassing. robots.txt is respected, including Crawl delay. Requests are rate limited (1 request per second per Idox council by default). The actor identifies itself honestly in its user agent.
- **Planning London Datahub** data is provided by the Greater London Authority and the London boroughs. *The Greater London Authority cannot warrant the quality or accuracy of the data.* This actor is not affiliated with or endorsed by the GLA, the Mayor of London or any council.
- **Personal data.** Applicant and agent names on Idox portals are personal data under UK GDPR. If you use them for marketing, you need a lawful basis, must follow PECR rules for electronic marketing, and must respect opt outs. Letters to the site address are the usual low risk approach. Council portals' own terms may limit reuse of some content, such as plans and documents. This actor collects only register fields, not documents.

### FAQ

**Why are some councils skipped?** Their robots.txt disallows automated access, or they show a bot challenge. We don't work around either.

**How fresh is the data?** London Datahub is updated daily. Idox portals are live.

**Can I add my council?** If it uses Idox Public Access and allows crawling, just name it. Otherwise open an issue on the actor page.

### Related UK data actors

- [UK Companies House Scraper: New Companies & Insolvency Alerts](https://apify.com/seaf999ield/uk-companies-house-feed)
- [UK Food Hygiene Ratings Scraper: FSA & New Restaurant Leads](https://apify.com/seaf999ield/uk-food-hygiene-ratings)
- [UK Government Tenders Scraper: Find a Tender & Contracts Finder](https://apify.com/seaf999ield/uk-public-tenders-feed)

### About RawTrader | UK Industry & Bills

RawTrader | UK Industry & Bills is a UK newsletter and open data project tracking energy bills, fuel prices, public tenders, company closures and FCA short positions, using official data from Ofgem, DESNZ, ONS, Companies House, Find a Tender and the FCA.

- [RawTrader Data: every UK data tool in one place](https://imrawtrader.beehiiv.com/p/data)
- [UK Industry & Bills newsletter](https://imrawtrader.beehiiv.com)
- [Follow @ImRawTrader on X](https://x.com/ImRawTrader)

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

new_applications keeps a snapshot in a named key-value store per monitor; the first run saves a baseline and outputs all current rows.

## `councils` (type: `array`):

Council names or keys: any London borough (e.g. 'Hackney', 'Kensington & Chelsea', 'City of London', 'OPDC'), 'london' for all 35 London planning authorities, 'rutland', or 'all' for every supported council. Other Idox Public Access councils can be named (e.g. 'doncaster') but are only searched if their robots.txt allows it and no bot challenge is shown.

## `dateType` (type: `string`):

Which date the date range applies to. London Datahub has no 'received' date, so 'received' falls back to the validated date there.

## `daysBack` (type: `integer`):

Used when no start date is given.

## `startDate` (type: `string`):

YYYY-MM-DD (optional).

## `endDate` (type: `string`):

YYYY-MM-DD (optional, default today).

## `keywords` (type: `array`):

Searched in the proposal description, one search per keyword, e.g. 'extension', 'change of use', 'HMO', 'solar', 'loft'. Empty = all applications.

## `maxPerCouncil` (type: `integer`):

Newest first.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

0 = no limit.

## `includeDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Opens each application's 'Further information' tab (one extra request per application).

## `monitorName` (type: `string`):

new_applications: separate saved state per name (store planning-<name>).

## `maxConcurrentCouncils` (type: `integer`):

Each council portal is still queried one request at a time.

## `delaySeconds` (type: `number`):

Minimum gap between requests to one portal; a robots.txt Crawl-delay is honoured if higher.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Not needed for most portals. Some councils only answer UK IP addresses; a UK proxy can help there.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "councils": [
    "Hackney",
    "Camden",
    "rutland"
  ],
  "dateType": "validated",
  "daysBack": 14,
  "keywords": [
    "extension"
  ],
  "maxPerCouncil": 20,
  "maxItems": 0,
  "includeDetails": true,
  "monitorName": "default",
  "maxConcurrentCouncils": 4,
  "delaySeconds": 1,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `applications` (type: `string`):

Search results or new applications.

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

Per-council status: ok, skipped (robots.txt) or blocked.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "mode": "search",
    "councils": [
        "Hackney",
        "Camden",
        "rutland"
    ],
    "keywords": [
        "extension"
    ],
    "maxPerCouncil": 20,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": false
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("seaf999ield/uk-planning-applications").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "mode": "search",
    "councils": [
        "Hackney",
        "Camden",
        "rutland",
    ],
    "keywords": ["extension"],
    "maxPerCouncil": 20,
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": False },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("seaf999ield/uk-planning-applications").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "mode": "search",
  "councils": [
    "Hackney",
    "Camden",
    "rutland"
  ],
  "keywords": [
    "extension"
  ],
  "maxPerCouncil": 20,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}' |
apify call seaf999ield/uk-planning-applications --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,seaf999ield/uk-planning-applications"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/xfNLzYRkEycSqgqy6/builds/2CiWykRZXTg7f70OG/openapi.json