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Planning application data standard

POC This is a proof of concept viewer for the planning permission specifications - your feedback will help us to improve it.

Dataset

decision notice

The decision notice dataset records the issued decision for a planning application

Fields

Reference

The reference for the decision notice

Reference
reference
Cardinality
1
Datatype
string
Requirement level
MUST

No needs satisfied by this field.

Planning application

The reference for the related planning application

Reference
planning-application
Cardinality
1
Datatype
string
Related dataset
Planning application dataset
Requirement level
MUST
Needs this field satisfies

Fields should only be added if they satisfy a user need. This field helps satisfy the following needs.

Decision

The decision outcome for the planning application

Reference
decision
Cardinality
1
Datatype
enum
Allowed values
Decision codelist
Requirement level
MUST
Needs this field satisfies

Fields should only be added if they satisfy a user need. This field helps satisfy the following needs.

Decision date

The date the decision notice was issued

Reference
decision-date
Cardinality
1
Datatype
datetime
Requirement level
MUST
Needs this field satisfies

Fields should only be added if they satisfy a user need. This field helps satisfy the following needs.

Organisation

The organisation issuing the decision notice

Reference
organisation
Cardinality
1
Datatype
enum
Allowed values
Organisations codelist
Requirement level
MUST
Needs this field satisfies

Fields should only be added if they satisfy a user need. This field helps satisfy the following needs.

Decision maker

The category of person or body that formally made the decision

Reference
decision-maker
Cardinality
1
Datatype
enum
Allowed values
Decision maker codelist
Requirement level
MUST
Guidance

How to use it

Use this field to record the category of person or body that formally made the decision. Use a value from the decision-maker codelist.

Do not use the name of an individual officer. Do not use an organisation identifier: record the organisation that issued the notice in organisation.

Examples

Situation organisation decision-maker
A planning officer makes the decision under delegated powers local-authority:RDB planning-officer
A planning committee makes the decision local-authority:RDB committee
A Planning Inspector makes the decision government-organisation:EA39 planning-inspector

For an LPA decision, organisation identifies the planning authority that issued the notice. decision-maker distinguishes a decision made by an officer under delegated powers from one made by the planning committee.

For an appeal decision made by a Planning Inspector, organisation identifies the Planning Inspectorate and decision-maker is planning-inspector.

Needs this field satisfies

Fields should only be added if they satisfy a user need. This field helps satisfy the following needs.

  • This field and field decision satisfy need dd-need-035.
Planning officer recommendation

The recommendation made by the planning officer for this application

Reference
planning-officer-recommendation
Cardinality
1
Datatype
enum
Allowed values
Decision codelist
Requirement level
SHOULD
Guidance

How to use it

Record the formal recommendation presented to the planning committee in the officer or committee report. This is the recommendation the committee was asked to consider before making its decision.

Use grant where the recommendation is to grant permission and refuse where the recommendation is to refuse permission. Conditions are recorded separately, so use grant whether or not the recommendation includes conditions.

Do not record an earlier draft recommendation, an informal case officer view or the decision made by a signing or authorising officer.

Omit this field where no formal recommendation was presented to the planning committee, including where a recommendation has not yet been made or the application was not determined by a committee. Do not use an empty string or a value such as defer, grant-with-conditions or withdrawn.

Needs this field satisfies

Fields should only be added if they satisfy a user need. This field helps satisfy the following needs.

Document URL

The URL to the published decision notice

Reference
document-url
Cardinality
1
Datatype
url
Requirement level
SHOULD
Needs this field satisfies

Fields should only be added if they satisfy a user need. This field helps satisfy the following needs.

  • This field and field documentation-url satisfy need dd-need-030.
Documentation URL

The URL of the page where the decision notice can be found

Reference
documentation-url
Cardinality
1
Datatype
url
Requirement level
MUST
Needs this field satisfies

Fields should only be added if they satisfy a user need. This field helps satisfy the following needs.

  • This field and field document-url satisfy need dd-need-030.
Notes

Optional notes that provide additional context about the decision notice

Reference
notes
Cardinality
1
Datatype
string
Requirement level
MAY

No needs satisfied by this field.

Examples

Decision made by a planning committee

The decision notice has its own stable reference and links to the planning application it determines. organisation identifies the organisation issuing the notice, while decision-maker records the category of person or body that formally made the decision rather than naming an individual officer.

Example formats

Table

Field Value
reference decision-2026-0123
planning-application 2026/0123/FUL
decision grant
decision-date 2026-07-23
organisation local-authority:CMD
decision-maker committee
document-url https://example.org/planning-applications/2026-0123-ful/decision-notice.pdf
documentation-url https://example.org/planning-applications/2026-0123-ful

JSON

{
  "reference": "decision-2026-0123",
  "planning-application": "2026/0123/FUL",
  "decision": "grant",
  "decision-date": "2026-07-23",
  "organisation": "local-authority:CMD",
  "decision-maker": "committee",
  "document-url": "https://example.org/planning-applications/2026-0123-ful/decision-notice.pdf",
  "documentation-url": "https://example.org/planning-applications/2026-0123-ful"
}

Needs satisfied by this dataset

Datasets should only be included in the specification if they satisfy user needs.

dd-need-048 fully satisfied, confidence high

Linked need: dd-need-048

Justification record: just-0002

This dataset is required to satisfy this need.

The decision notice dataset captures the issued decision notice so planning authorities can evidence that they are meeting their legal obligations.