Reading a planning application without a planning degree
What each field means, and which three actually tell you whether to bother.
Applies to England. Facts last checked 4 Aug 2026. Guides describe England; other UK nations run separate planning systems.
The reference number
Councils number their own way — 26/2848/HSE, BH2026/01405, P2026/0271/FUL. The letters on the end are usually the application type, and they are the fastest way to filter. HSE or HH is householder. FUL is full planning. LBC is listed building consent. NMA is a non-material amendment to something already approved.
The three fields worth reading first
- The description. Written by the applicant or their agent, and the only place the actual work is described. "Erection of single storey rear extension" is a job; "Non-material amendment to condition 3" is not.
- The validated date. When the clock started. An application validated last week is early; one validated eight months ago has probably been decided or is in trouble.
- The status. Whether it has been decided, and how.
Fields that mislead
The decision date can be blank on an application that has plainly been decided, because some councils publish the decision and the date separately. The consultation end date is the deadline for objections, not for anything to do with building. And an application marked "Prior Approval" may mean prior approval was required and given, or that it was not required at all — the wording varies by council and the two mean different things.
When in doubt, open the council record
Every application in Tradecue links to the council’s own page for it. That is the authoritative record; we mirror it. If a date or a decision matters to a quote you are about to give, check it there — it takes ten seconds and we would rather you did.
Sources
General explanation, not legal or planning advice. Anything that turns on the detail of a particular site is worth a free phone call to the council’s planning department. Something here wrong or out of date? Tell us.