Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning application documents: what to read first
Understand planning application documents, officer reports and decision notices. Use a reading checklist, document table and worked example to inspect a case.
England · Local authority
Explore collected planning applications and decisions for Somerset Council. Search an address, application reference or proposal to find a record.
3,312 approved · 66 refused · 185 withdrawn. Most recent record check: 14 Oct 2026. Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.
Explore published planning boundaries and follow their source records for designation details. Coverage varies: an empty map does not mean there are no restrictions. Check the council’s current maps and documents before relying on a boundary.
Interactive planning map loads with JavaScript. Dataset sources are linked below.
Download Article 4 coverage for all authorities (CSV)
Data downloaded 14 Sept 2026. Display boundaries are simplified and indicative. Map record counts are not a complete count of designations or directions.
Sources: Planning Data conservation areas and Article 4 direction areas. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Shipham Quarry, Shipham Gorge, Cheddar, Somerset
Received Not publishedHayesdown First School, Wyville Road, Frome, Somerset, BA11 2BN
Received Not publishedSpringmead Works, Beeching Close, Chard, Somerset, TA20 1BB
Received Not publishedEvercreech Primary School, Paradise Crescent, Evercreech, Shepton Mallet, Somerset
Received Not publishedSaxonvale Training Centre, Garsdale, Saxonvale, FROME, BA11 1RX
Received Not publishedKingsmead Community School, Hartswell, Wiveliscombe, TAUNTON, TA4 2NE
Received Not publishedEast Bridgwater Community School, Parkway, BRIDGWATER, Somerset, TA6 4QY
Received Not publishedCorkscrew Lane, onto Whitmore Lane, Taunton, Somerset
Received Not publishedLand at Comeytrowe, Taunton, Somerset
Received Not publishedP221 Land at Heathway Drove, Meare Heath, Meare
Received Not publishedUnit B4, Marshall Way, Commerce Park, FROME, BA11 2FB
Received Not publishedCastle Hill Quarry Co Ltd Stradlings Hill Cannington Bridgwater TA5 2QF
Received Not publishedLand opposite Mill House, off Wayford Hill, Clapton, CREWKERNE, Somerset, TA18 8TU
Received Not publishedBroadmead Quarry, Stancombe Lane, Westbury sub Mendip, Wells, Somerset, BA5 3BZ
Received Not publishedPlot 4226 (pt) of OS Sheet ST5227 at Nut Hill, Sunnyside Farm, Kingsdon, SOMERTON, Somerset, TA11 7LJ
Received Not publishedBishops Lydeard STW, Bishops Lydeard, TAUNTON, TA4 3LS
Received Not publishedWorthy Farm, Worthy Lane, Pilton, Somerset BA4 4BY
Received Not publishedStoke St Gregory Primary School, Stoke St Gregory, Taunton, Somerset, TA3 6EG
Received Not publishedWhitstone Hill Roundabout A37/745 Shepton Mallet
Received Not publishedHIGHCROFT QUARRY, GURNEY SLADE
Received Not publishedDimmer Landfill Site, Dimmer Lane, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7NR
Received Not publishedKingsmead Secondary School, WIVELISCOMBE
Received Not publishedHenstridge Transfer and Reclamation Facility, 13A, Marsh Lane, HENSTRIDGE, Somerset
Received Not publishedWalpole Landfill Site, Puriton Road, Pawlett, BRIDGWATER, Somerset, TA9 3NL
Received Not publishedRecords are ordered by application ID, not submission date. Use search to find a particular address or proposal.
View all applicationsStart with the address or application reference. Open a record to read the proposal, dates and available documents, then check the official register for the latest plans and consultation details. If nothing appears, check coverage before treating the result as a complete planning history.
How to search planning applications
Understanding planning · 13 min read
Understand planning application documents, officer reports and decision notices. Use a reading checklist, document table and worked example to inspect a case.

Understanding planning · 13 min read
Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.

Property research · 13 min read
Understand planning approval rates with an interactive calculator, worked examples and comparison table. Check sample sizes, outcomes and coverage before comparing.
These figures describe applications collected by PlanningTrack for Somerset Council, across all dates currently available. They are a partial dataset, rather than an authority-wide performance measure. The date range does not establish continuous historical coverage.
The approval percentage is approved records divided by approved plus refused records. Pending, withdrawn and unknown outcomes are excluded. No percentage is shown until there is an approved or refused record.
Check collection coverage