Terms of Use

1. About Appealbase™

Appealbase™ is a tool for exploring planning appeal decisions issued by the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) in England. Basic searching on the website is free. Optional paid plans raise limits and add AI assistant, API, and developer access; see our pricing pages for current plans.

These Terms cover the Appealbase website, accounts, email alerts, and programmatic access (including the Model Context Protocol (MCP) connectors for ChatGPT and Claude, and our REST API). Appealbase is independently developed and maintained, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Planning Inspectorate or the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

For details of the data we publish and how we handle personal information, please see our Privacy Statement.

2. User Accounts

Appealbase™ offers optional user accounts that allow you to access additional features and personalize your experience. When you create an account, you agree to:

• • Provide accurate and complete information during registration
• • Maintain the security of your account credentials
• • Accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account
• • Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
• • Accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Statement

You may sign up using your email address and a password, or through third-party authentication providers (Google, Apple, Microsoft). We use industry-standard encryption to protect your password.

You may delete your account at any time through your account settings. Account deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.

Account-only features may include saving searches and decisions, adding notes to saved decisions, organising saved decisions into folders, exporting saved decisions (Appealbase Pro), enabling email alerts for saved searches, connecting Appealbase to ChatGPT or Claude, using an API key, and managing a paid plan.

3. Use of the service

By using Appealbase™, including the website, MCP connectors, or API, you agree to:

• • Use it lawfully and responsibly
• • Not attempt to disrupt, overload, or misuse the service in any way (including by circumventing usage limits)
• • Keep API keys and account credentials confidential, and accept responsibility for activity under your account
• • Accept the use of cookies and analytics technologies as described in our Privacy Statement when you use the website

Appealbase™ is provided for information and research purposes. It does not offer legal or planning advice, and you should not rely on it as a substitute for professional judgement or statutory sources. Professional use in the course of your work (for example as a planner, agent, or lawyer) is permitted on the terms below.

4. Content licensing

All planning appeal decisions and associated metadata are sourced from the Planning Inspectorate and published under the Open Government Licence v3.0: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

5. Copyright and permitted use

You may use Appealbase™ to search, read, and cite planning appeals for research and professional work — including via ChatGPT or Claude — subject to your account tier and usage limits.

When you present appeals you found through Appealbase, you must cite them as found via Appealbase and include a link to the relevant Appealbase decision page where practical. If you reproduce exact verbatim quotes of decision text, you must also attribute the Planning Inspectorate under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Do not misrepresent the source or suggest endorsement by Appealbase or PINS.

Developer Trial and Developer Pro accounts are for internal tools, prototypes, and evaluation. They do not include the right to retain Appealbase data for resale, to build a competing dataset, or to redistribute substantial parts of the database.

Appealbase Pro may export selected saved decisions for your own research and professional work. Export does not include the right to build a competing dataset, retain Appealbase data for resale, or systematically copy substantial parts of the Appealbase database.

You may not systematically copy, download, scrape, or redistribute substantial parts of the Appealbase database — including via MCP or the API — without a Custom plan or other written permission. Feeds, product embedding, and broader commercial redistribution require a Custom arrangement; see Developer pricing or email support@appealbase.com.

6. Paid plans and billing

Optional paid plans (including Appealbase Pro and Developer Pro) are described on our pricing pages. Features, limits, and prices may change. Current limits for your account appear in Account settings and on the pricing pages.

Payments are processed by Stripe. We do not store your full card details. Subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each billing period until you cancel. You can manage payment methods and cancel through Account settings (Stripe customer portal). Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current paid period; you keep paid access until then.

Usage limits (for example monthly MCP or API calls) reset on the schedule described in the product (typically each calendar month). Hitting a limit does not entitle you to a refund. If payment fails, we may suspend paid features until the subscription is restored.

Unless we agree otherwise in writing, fees are non-refundable except where required by law. For any questions about billing, please email support@appealbase.com.

7. Limitation of liability

While we take care to provide accurate and useful information, Appealbase™ is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We are not liable for any loss, damage, or costs arising from use of the site or reliance on its content.

You are responsible for how you use any information obtained through Appealbase™.

8. Changes and availability

We may update or change the service at any time, including modifying or removing features or usage limits. We may also change these Terms of Use without notice. Continued use of Appealbase™ means you accept any changes.

9. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

10. Contact

If you have any questions or concerns about Appealbase™ or these terms, you can contact us at support@appealbase.com.