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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

planning application document

Links a planning application to the documents submitted with it.

Fields

Reference

The reference for the document record

Reference
reference
Cardinality
1
Datatype
string
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 planning-application and field replaces satisfy need dd-need-082.
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.

  • This field and field document-url and field documentation-url satisfy need dd-need-077.
  • This field and field reference and field replaces satisfy need dd-need-082.
  • This field and field public-register-status satisfy need dd-need-103.
Document URL

The URL to the document file

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 planning-application and field documentation-url satisfy need dd-need-077.
Documentation URL

The URL of the page where the document 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 planning-application and field document-url satisfy need dd-need-077.
Name

Title or label used to identify the document

Reference
name
Cardinality
1
Datatype
string
Requirement level
MUST
Guidance

How to use it

Use a short, readable title that identifies the individual document. A document type is sufficient where it is clear. Include a subject, version or revision where needed to distinguish similar documents.

Good examples

  • Application form
  • Design and access statement
  • Proposed site plan - revision B

Avoid

  • Document
  • Plan
  • DOC01
  • site_plan_v2_FINAL.pdf
Needs this field satisfies

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

Replaces

Reference to an earlier document record replaced by this document

Reference
replaces
Cardinality
1
Datatype
string
Related dataset
Planning application document dataset
Requirement level
MUST
Guidance

How to use it

Use replaces when a new document supersedes an earlier document for the same planning application.

Record the stable reference of the earlier document on the newer document record. Do not put the newer document's reference on the earlier record and do not use a filename or URL as the value.

Keep a separate record for each version. If a third version is published, it should replace the second version, forming a chain between the document records.

Example

Document V1 is recorded first:

json { "reference": "document-001", "planning-application": "application-001", "name": "Proposed site plan V1", "document-url": "https://example.org/documents/site-plan-v1.pdf" }

Document V2 is then published as its replacement:

json { "reference": "document-002", "planning-application": "application-001", "name": "Proposed site plan V2", "document-url": "https://example.org/documents/site-plan-v2.pdf", "replaces": "document-001" }

document-002 is the newer record, so its replaces field points to document-001.

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 reference and field planning-application satisfy need dd-need-082.
Public register status

Whether the document has been assessed as suitable for public availability on the planning register

Reference
public-register-status
Cardinality
1
Datatype
enum
Allowed values
Public register status codelist
Requirement level
MUST
Guidance

How to use it

Use public-register-status to record whether an individual document may be made publicly available on the planning register.

Assess each document separately. This field is not the status of the planning application and must not contain workflow values such as valid, under-consideration, approved or withdrawn.

Use one of the values from the public-register-status codelist:

Value Use when
publish The document has been assessed as suitable for public availability.
withhold The document should not be made publicly available because access needs to be controlled.
not-assessed No decision has yet been recorded about whether the document is suitable for public availability.

Only records with public-register-status set to publish are included in the National Public View.

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 planning-application satisfy need dd-need-103.

Examples

Replacement document

These are two separate document records for the same application. The newer document points to the stable reference of the document it replaces. public-register-status records whether each document may be published, not the status of the application.

Example formats

Table

reference planning-application name public-register-status document-url documentation-url replaces
DOC01 2026/0123/FUL Proposed site plan V1 publish https://example.org/planning-applications/2026-0123-ful/site-plan-v1.pdf https://example.org/planning-applications/2026-0123-ful
DOC02 2026/0123/FUL Proposed site plan V2 publish https://example.org/planning-applications/2026-0123-ful/site-plan-v2.pdf https://example.org/planning-applications/2026-0123-ful DOC01

JSON

[
  {
    "reference": "DOC01",
    "planning-application": "2026/0123/FUL",
    "name": "Proposed site plan V1",
    "public-register-status": "publish",
    "document-url": "https://example.org/planning-applications/2026-0123-ful/site-plan-v1.pdf",
    "documentation-url": "https://example.org/planning-applications/2026-0123-ful"
  },
  {
    "reference": "DOC02",
    "planning-application": "2026/0123/FUL",
    "name": "Proposed site plan V2",
    "replaces": "DOC01",
    "public-register-status": "publish",
    "document-url": "https://example.org/planning-applications/2026-0123-ful/site-plan-v2.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.

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