Most projects move through the same three moments — understanding the rules, asking your specific question, and checking your actual site. We built a product for each, designed to hand you on cleanly.
The independent, council-adjacent publication. Plain-English guidance organised by region and project — for understanding the rules before you start.
The moment you stop reading and start asking. Drop in a postcode and PlanningAssist tailors a source-grounded answer to your local plan — instantly, in plain English, any time.
When you're ready to check a specific site. Drop in a postcode and Planning Consult cross-checks fifteen live constraint layers — then returns a plain-English verdict on your approval likelihood, with sources cited on every flag.
You can move up the ladder at any point — and each product hands you on to the next.
| Planning Handbook Read | PlanningAssist Ask | Planning Consult Check | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Understanding the rules in general | Answering your specific question | Checking a specific site or postcode |
| You get | Editorial guidance by region & project | An instant, source-grounded answer | A 15-layer constraint report & statement |
| Speed | Read at your own pace | Seconds | ~45 seconds |
| Typical cost | Free to read | Always free to ask | Free check · reports & Pro tiers from £9 |
| When to move on | You have a specific question | You need to check your actual site | — |
PlanningAssist will answer your question — and tell you, honestly, when it's time to read the guidance or run a full constraint check on your site.
Ask a planning question