What are Planning Search Alerts?
Planning Search Alerts notify you by email when new planning applications are published that match a search you have saved in the Planning Search tool. They run automatically in the background, so you don't need to return to LandInsight to manually check for new activity.
They are designed for broad, ongoing monitoring: tracking planning trends across an area, following activity from a specific applicant, or keeping watch on a particular type of development as it emerges across a region.
How to set up a Planning Search Alert
Open The Explorer on the left of your screen
Click into the Planning Applications tab
Click Search Planning Applications
Enter your search criteria (keywords, filters, date range, and so on)
Once your search is configured, click Save Search
Give your saved search a name
Toggle Email alerts on
Choose your preferred alert frequency: daily or weekly
Click Save
Your alert will run automatically. When new applications are published that match your search, you'll receive an email notification.
What Planning Search Alerts monitor
Planning Search Alerts track new planning applications published by local authorities across England and Wales that match your saved search criteria. This includes:
Applications containing your specified keywords
Applications of a specific type (for example, outline or prior approval)
Applications with a specific decision status
Applications within a specific date range or number of homes
Alerts fire when a new matching application appears in the LandInsight dataset. They do not retroactively alert you to applications that already existed when you saved the search.
Planning Search Alerts vs Planning Alerts: what is the difference?
These are two separate alert tools designed for different purposes. It is easy to confuse them, so here is a clear comparison:
| Planning Search Alerts | Planning Alerts |
What they monitor | New applications matching a keyword search across any area | Planning activity on a specific saved site |
Where they are set up | Planning Search tool (The Explorer) | Individual saved site (Home > Alerts > Saved Site Alerts) |
Scope | Broad: covers a whole map view, council area, or drawn polygon | Narrow: covers one specific site boundary |
Best for | Tracking trends, competitors, or application types across a region | Monitoring a priority site you are actively considering or pursuing |
Frequency | Daily or weekly | Daily or weekly |
Triggered by | Any new application matching your search | Any new planning application within your site boundary |
Use Planning Search Alerts to stay informed at scale. Use Planning Alerts (set up via Home > Alerts > Saved Site Alerts) when a specific site matters enough to monitor closely.
Managing your saved searches and alerts
Go to Home and click Alerts
Select Planning Search Alerts to view all your saved searches
Click into a saved search to edit the criteria or toggle alerts on and off
Delete saved searches you no longer need
Plan availability
Planning Search Alerts are available on all LandInsight plans.
Plan | Planning Search Alerts |
Starter | Included |
Pro | Included |
Unlimited | Included |
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