Legal

Terms of Use

Last updated: 4 August 2026

1. Acceptance of terms

By accessing or using Planning Alerts ("the Service") at planningalerts.app, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. These terms apply to all users, including free tier users, Pro subscribers, and B2B API customers.

2. The Service

Planning Alerts provides access to publicly available planning application data sourced from UK local planning authorities. All planning application data is published under the Open Government Licence v3.0 and remains the copyright of the respective local planning authority. We do not create, modify, or own any planning application data.

3. Permitted use

You may use the Service to:

  • Search for and view planning applications near a property or postcode
  • Subscribe to email alerts for new planning applications in your area
  • Access planning application data via the B2B API (subject to your subscription tier)
  • Display planning application data in your own products, provided you include the required OGL3 attribution

4. Prohibited use

You may not:

  • Scrape, crawl, or systematically download data from the Service beyond your API tier limits
  • Use the Service to build a competing planning data aggregation service without a commercial licence agreement
  • Remove or obscure the OGL3 attribution notices required by the Open Government Licence
  • Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable law
  • Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Service or its infrastructure
  • Use automated means to create multiple free accounts to circumvent rate limits

5. B2B API terms

If you access the Planning Alerts API, the following additional terms apply:

Rate limits

API usage is subject to the rate limits of your subscription tier (Starter: 10,000 calls/month; Professional: 50,000 calls/month; Enterprise: unlimited). Exceeding your limit will result in HTTP 429 responses until your billing cycle resets.

Attribution requirement

Any product or service that displays planning application data obtained via the API must include the attribution text: "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: [Council Name]" with a link to the original application on the council portal. This is a legal requirement under the OGL3, not just a contractual one.

Data accuracy

Planning application data is sourced from council portals and may contain errors or omissions. We make no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the data. Always verify critical information directly with the relevant local planning authority.

API key security

You are responsible for keeping your API key confidential. Do not share your API key or commit it to public repositories. If your key is compromised, contact us immediately to rotate it.

6. Data accuracy disclaimer

Planning application data is sourced from UK local planning authority portals and is provided "as is". We make no representation or warranty that the data is accurate, complete, current, or free from errors. Planning Alerts is not a substitute for a formal local land charges search or official planning enquiry. Do not rely solely on Planning Alerts data for legal, financial, or property transaction decisions.

7. Intellectual property

The Planning Alerts platform, brand, design, and software are the intellectual property of Planning Alerts. Planning application data is Crown Copyright or local authority copyright, licensed under OGL3. You may not reproduce the Planning Alerts brand, design, or software without our written permission.

8. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Planning Alerts shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Service, including but not limited to loss of profits, data, or goodwill. Our total liability to you for any claim shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim.

9. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time if you breach these Terms of Use. You may cancel your subscription at any time from your account dashboard. No refunds are provided for partial billing periods.

10. Governing law

These Terms of Use are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

11. Contact

For questions about these Terms of Use, contact us at legal@planningalerts.app.

See also: Privacy Policy · Open Government Licence v3.0