Frequently Asked Questions

Appealbase™ is a free, open-access web application for searching the full text of planning appeal decision notices issued by the Planning Inspectorate in England since 1 January 2020. With more than 100,000 decisions available, it helps architects, planning consultants, and other built environment professionals access real inspector reasoning to inform better planning applications and reduce the risk of refusal.

Appealbase is provided and operated by Re-Focus Associates Ltd. The company is incorporated in England and Wales under company number 05179367.

Yes for basic searching. Core full-text search on the website is free and will stay free — no account or credit card required. Our mission is to democratise access to planning appeal data, and keeping basic search free is central to that.

Optional paid plans offer higher limits for saved searches, email alerts, AI assistant (MCP) use, developer API access, and full LPA and inspector insights. See our pricing page for Appealbase Pro and Developer Pro. The core search function will always remain free.

Appealbase Pro is for professionals who want higher limits for saved searches, alerts, use in ChatGPT or Claude, export of saved decisions, and full LPA and inspector insights (trends and charts). Developer Pro is for teams building with our REST API and MCP. Custom plans cover feeds, redistribution rights, and dedicated support. Compare options on the pricing page. Basic web search stays free either way.

Use Insights in the nav (Beta). Browse local authorities or search inspectors with at least 10 decisions in the last 12 months. Each page includes a free 12-month summary (decided counts, allowed rate, and recent outcomes). Appealbase Pro unlocks charts, period comparisons, and breakdowns, plus a Section 78 toggle. Authority pages list top inspectors; inspector pages list top local authorities. Decision pages link through where available.

We work closely with users across planning, development and housing to shape the roadmap and test new features. Feedback from planning professionals, consultants and other practitioners directly influences how we structure the data, filters and search tools in Appealbase.

Appealbase offers several advantages over other planning appeal search tools. Unlike many alternatives, core search is free — you only pay if you choose an optional Pro or developer plan for higher limits. We provide full-text search across decision notices, advanced filtering (including by inspector), map-based search, saved searches, email alerts, LPA and inspector insights, and an official ChatGPT app plus Claude connector. Developers can use our REST API and MCP.

See our comparison page for a feature-by-feature overview.

Optional paid plans are listed on pricing.

See What’s new for release notes. The latest update adds inspector insights alongside local authority insights — free 12-month summaries, with trends and charts on Appealbase Pro.

Yes. If you create an account, you can save searches and favourite decisions in the Saved page. You can add a note to saved decisions, and organise them into folders for a project or topic. Appealbase Pro can export selected saved decisions as a CSV file or a zip of Markdown files. The first time you export, you confirm the files are for your own research and professional work, not for building a dataset or copying substantial parts of the Appealbase database. See our Terms of Use.

Email alerts are managed through Saved searches. Save a search and turn on email alerts for it. Free accounts get a daily digest; Appealbase Pro can choose daily or hourly (when new matching decisions appear). You can change frequency from Saved, or from a link in the alert email. The number of saved searches and active email alerts you can have depends on your account tier — view your limits on the Account settings page or compare plans on pricing.

Yes. In ChatGPT, use our official Appealbase app in the ChatGPT Apps directory. In Claude, connect Appealbase as an MCP connector. Both ask you to log in to your Appealbase account when you connect. See ChatGPT & Claude for setup instructions.

Monthly call limits depend on your account tier. If you need higher limits, see pricing.