Architect leads from planning applications
Planning applications show which projects have been submitted and which have been decided. Area alerts emails new applications and recorded decisions near a postcode.
An alert for extensions and new homes lists the proposal, the address and the outcome, so you can read local decisions before you advise a client on a similar scheme.
Check recent applications for architectural work near a postcode
Proposal wording that signals architectural work
An Area alerts digest for extensions and conversions and new homes lists proposals with wording like this, with the address, the date and a link to the council record.
| Proposal wording | What it indicates |
|---|---|
| Single-storey rear extension | A householder project. The council record shows the drawings and the recorded decision. |
| Two-storey side extension | A larger householder design, where decisions on similar schemes are worth reading. |
| Erection of dwellings | New housing. The council record names the applicant and agent. |
| Alterations to the existing dwelling | Smaller design work that may still need drawings for a council. |
Marketing for architects
Architects and planning consultants win work through referrals and a record of approved schemes. Planning applications show which designs are approved in an area and which are refused.
- Write to owners after a refusal. A refused householder application may be redesigned and resubmitted. Read the officer report, then offer a design that addresses the reasons for refusal.
- Use local decisions as evidence. Approved schemes on the same street show what the council accepts. Mention them when you explain your approach to a client.
- Follow small housing sites. Applications for one or two dwellings often come from landowners who will need help with conditions or a revised scheme.
- Publish your approved projects. List the council references of schemes you have designed on your website, so prospective clients can check the decisions.
Area alerts subscribers can have an introduction letter printed and posted to the address of a matched application for £1.95 a letter. Letters are addressed to the owner or occupier and do not name the applicant. Copy the letter template.
What Area alerts includes
- £29 a month or £290 a year, up to 3 areas.
- Each area is a postcode with a radius of 1 to 25 miles.
- A daily or weekly email with new applications and decisions, sent only when there is something to report, up to 50 updates in each.
- Project types are matched from proposal wording, so read the council record before you contact anyone.
Coverage is incomplete.
Councils that do not publish coordinates for an application are not included in area alerts. Check coverage for your councils.
Digests are sent daily or weekly, not as applications arrive, and each digest lists up to 50 updates.
Get emailed about new planning applications in your area
Area alerts send a daily or weekly email with new applications and decisions near a postcode, filtered by project type. £29 a month, up to 3 areas. Records are limited to the councils we collect.
Set up an area alertRead how to find building work from planning applications before you contact a homeowner.