# Planning Permission UK Scraper (`parseforge/planning-permission-uk-scraper`) Actor

Scrape planning applications from Planning Portal weekly planning news bulletins. Each record includes reference, location, proposal, decision, and a link to the full details.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/planning-permission-uk-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Real estate, Automation, Developer tools
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 19 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $11.99 / 1,000 result items

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner-v4.webp)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### Planning Permission UK Scraper

**Scrape UK planning permission applications from any weekly bulletin or index.** Each record includes the application reference, location, proposal, decision, and a direct link to the full details. No API key needed. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Planning Portal's weekly planning news bulletins list new applications, decisions, and appeals across England and Wales. But manually checking each bulletin or scraping the pages one by one is slow and error-prone. This Actor reads the bulletin index or a single bulletin URL and returns each application as a clean, structured row.

| Who uses it | What they scrape Planning Portal for |
|---|---|
| Property developers | Track new planning applications in target areas to spot development opportunities early. |
| Town planners and consultants | Monitor decisions and appeals across multiple local authorities from one dataset. |
| Market researchers | Analyse planning trends, approval rates, and types of development by region. |
| Journalists and researchers | Gather data on planning activity for reports, investigations, or academic studies. |

### What it does

This Actor collects planning permission applications from Planning Portal's weekly planning news bulletins, returning each application as a flat row with reference, location, proposal, decision, and a link to the full details.

- 📄 **Single bulletin:** Paste one weekly-planning-news URL to get all applications from that bulletin.
- 📚 **Index mode:** Use the main index URL to scrape multiple bulletins in one run, up to your max items limit.
- 🔗 **Direct links:** Every record includes a link to the full application details on Planning Portal.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with Planning Portal data

**🏗️ Spot development opportunities.**

Property developers run the Actor weekly on their target area's bulletin to see new applications before they become public knowledge.

**📊 Analyse planning trends.**

Researchers scrape all bulletins for a region over a year to study approval rates, types of development, and local authority behaviour.

**🔍 Monitor competitor activity.**

Consultants set up recurring runs to track applications by known developers or in specific postcode areas.

**📋 Build a planning database.**

Local community groups collect and share planning data for their neighbourhood, keeping residents informed.

### Why choose this scraper

|  | What you get |
|---|---|
| **Reference** | The unique planning application reference number. |
| **Location** | The address or location of the proposed development. |
| **Proposal** | A description of what is being planned. |
| **Decision** | The outcome (e.g. Approved, Refused, Pending). |
| **Link** | A direct URL to the full application details on Planning Portal. |

### How it compares

No other Store actor targets Planning Portal the same way, so the honest comparison is with the alternatives teams actually weigh.

| | Planning Permission UK Scraper | Build it in-house | By hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Run it now, zero config | Days of engineering | None, but hours per pull |
| When Planning Portal changes | Maintained for you | You fix it | You re-learn the page |
| Proxies, retries, anti-bot | Built in | Your problem | Browser only |
| Output | Fixed JSON schema, CSV/Excel export | Whatever you build | Copy-paste |
| Cost | Pay per result | Engineering time | Analyst hours |

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor from a single bulletin URL or the index URL. The max items filter limits how many records are saved, so you can start small and scale up. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
  "startUrl": "https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/weekly-planning-news",
  "maxItems": 10
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
  "startUrl": "https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/weekly-planning-news",
  "maxItems": 200
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.01599 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $1.60 |
| 1,000 results | $15.99 |
| 10,000 results | $159.90 |

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [Planning Permission UK Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/planning-permission-uk-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to Planning Portal through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/planning-permission-uk-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**I am getting no results from a bulletin URL.**

Check that the URL is a valid weekly-planning-news page. Some bulletins may have no applications listed. Try a different bulletin or the index URL.

**The Actor returns fewer records than expected.**

The max items limit may be too low. Increase it. Also, some bulletins contain only a few applications. Use the index URL to scrape multiple bulletins.

**The run fails with a timeout error.**

The bulletin page may be slow to load. Try reducing the max items or running the Actor again. If the problem persists, contact support.

**The data looks incomplete or missing fields.**

Some bulletins may not include all fields (e.g. decision may be blank for new applications). The Actor extracts what is available on the page.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is a weekly planning news bulletin? | It is a page on Planning Portal that lists new planning applications, decisions, and appeals submitted to local authorities in England and Wales. Each bulletin covers a specific week. |
| Do I need an API key or login? | No. The Actor reads the public bulletin pages directly. No registration or API key is required. |
| Can I scrape all bulletins at once? | Yes. Use the index URL and set a high max items. The Actor will follow the bulletin links and collect applications from each one. |
| What data does each record contain? | Each record includes the application reference, location, proposal, decision, and a direct link to the full details on Planning Portal. |
| How many records can I scrape? | Free users can scrape up to 100 records per run. Paid users can scrape up to 1,000,000 records. |
| What export formats are supported? | You can export the dataset as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML directly from the Apify platform. |
| Does it scrape all local authorities? | It scrapes whatever is listed on the Planning Portal weekly planning news pages. Not all local authorities submit data to Planning Portal. |
| Can I filter by date or region? | The Actor does not filter by date or region directly. You can filter the results after scraping using the dataset tools. |
| Is the data updated in real time? | No. The data is as current as the bulletin pages. Bulletins are typically published weekly. |
| What if a bulletin page changes format? | The Actor is maintained to handle the current structure. If the format changes, we update the scraper. Contact support if you notice issues. |

### Related actors

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Planning Portal. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

## `startUrl` (type: `string`):

Use a weekly-planning-news URL. A single bulletin URL returns one item; the index URL returns multiple items.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum bulletin records to save. Free users: up to 100. Paid users: up to 1,000,000.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrl": "https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/weekly-planning-news",
  "maxItems": 10
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

Dataset overview table with key planning bulletin fields.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "startUrl": "https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/weekly-planning-news",
    "maxItems": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/planning-permission-uk-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "startUrl": "https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/weekly-planning-news",
    "maxItems": 10,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/planning-permission-uk-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "startUrl": "https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/weekly-planning-news",
  "maxItems": 10
}' |
apify call parseforge/planning-permission-uk-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/planning-permission-uk-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/9D4TyS5YjA85Ghzcx/builds/X1EQyy1XZAJikBGEE/openapi.json