Planning Alerts UK: How to Get Notified About Applications Near You
To explore planning alerts in the UK, enter your postcode and save it to a PlanWatch account. Free use covers searching and saving; paid plans send instant alerts when new applications are logged near a monitored postcode. You choose the radius, and you do not need a council account. Unlike a single council's notification list, PlanWatch lets you search across the UK. Below we compare the real ways to get planning alerts in the UK — the free council and charity options and paid monitoring services.
Set up a planning alert in under a minute
It is a one-step process: enter your postcode in the box above, see the applications already logged near that address, then save the postcode with your email. Free accounts do not receive ongoing alerts. Choose a paid plan when you want PlanWatch to monitor the area and send instant emails.
Free vs paid planning alerts: the honest comparison
Most providers only tell you about their own service. Here is the straight comparison of the main ways to get planning alerts in the UK, so you can pick what fits.
| Service | Free tier? | Coverage | Radius control | Alert delivery | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PlanWatch | Yes | UK local authorities nationwide | Yes — choose your radius | Paid instant alerts | Anyone wanting to search and optionally monitor an area |
| planning.org.uk (Planning Alerts) | Yes | UK-wide | Fixed radius on the free tier | Daily digest | Single-address neighbour watch |
| planningsignal.co.uk | Limited | Postcode search + email | Partial | Casual postcode monitoring | |
| plottr.co.uk | Paid | Nationwide (professional) | Yes | Instant (paid tiers) | Developers and professionals |
Comparison reflects each provider's publicly advertised features at the time of writing — check the provider for current terms.
How PlanWatch alerts work
A paid PlanWatch alert is tied to a postcode and a radius you choose. When a new application is registered with the local planning authority covering that area, paid plans can email you instantly. Free accounts are for searching and saving a postcode, not ongoing alert delivery. Coverage is available across connected UK local authorities, so you can search your own street, a property you are buying in another town, or a site you manage professionally.
Want to see which councils approve the most before you watch an area? Read our UK council approval-rate ranking, built from official MHCLG data. And if you are not yet sure how to read an application, see how to view planning applications near you.
Which planning alert service is right for you?
- Keeping an eye on your own neighbourhood — search and save your home postcode for free, then choose a paid plan if you need instant alerts.
- Buying a property — save the address you are buying and choose paid monitoring if you need new applications sent to you.
- Objecting to a specific scheme — paid instant alerts can help you spot new applications earlier; always check the official council record and consultation dates. See how to object.
- Developers and professionals — if you need instant, high-volume monitoring across many areas, a paid professional service may suit; PlanWatch's optional paid tier adds deeper tracking.
Search and save a postcode now
Enter your postcode in the box at the top of this page, check what's already near you, and save it to your account. Paid plans are available when you need instant alerts.