Disclosure Log

Question

Request for no-cost access and permission to reuse planning application metadata

I am not asking the council to develop anything, prepare an export or supply a feed. I would collect the relevant metadata myself from the existing public planning register.

I am seeking written permission to collect, store and use that data.

Any automated collection would be modest and rate-limited, subject to limits agreed with you. I would exclude plans, supporting documents, public comments and personal contact details.

Could you confirm whether this use is permitted, and any licence, attribution requirements or collection restrictions? If another team handles data reuse permissions, please forward this clarification to them.

1. Whether this metadata can be supplied or collected and reused at no charge under the Open Government Licence or another suitable permission or licence.

2. Whether that permission covers storing the records, linking them to properties and other datasets, producing derived summaries, displaying the information to paying INSIGHT users and retaining collected records and derived summaries.

3. Which fields and historical periods are available, and whether there is an existing API, open-data download, bulk export or regular update feed we could use.

4. If no feed is available, whether you would permit modest, rate-limited automated collection from the public planning register, and any requirements for the collection method, frequency or rate.

5. Any attribution, correction, retention or other conditions, and whether address, location or other fields carry separate third-party rights or exclusions.

Our preference is to use existing datasets and delivery routes, without asking the authority to develop a new service. If any charge would apply, please explain it before undertaking chargeable work; this enquiry does not authorise fees.

Answer

The Council’s online planning register is made available for public access to planning application information. However, the availability of information on the public register does not, in itself, constitute permission for automated collection, bulk extraction, onward reuse or commercial use of that information.

The Council does not currently provide a dedicated API, bulk data feed or bespoke export for the purpose described. Any reuse of information would remain subject to applicable copyright, database rights, licensing terms and any third-party rights attaching to particular data.

We are therefore unable to confirm through this FOI response that the proposed automated collection and commercial reuse is authorised under the Open Government Licence. Any request for permission to reuse information, including proposed automated extraction from the public planning register, would need to be considered separately from the Council’s obligations under FOI/EIR.