Start with the council’s planning register for the property address, then check neighbouring sites where your concerns extend beyond the boundary. The application title is only a starting point: read the decision and relevant documents.
What to check.
Find the right application
Try the full address, earlier names and an application reference if the seller has one. Check the plan to make sure the record relates to the work you are considering.
Read beyond the status
Distinguish an application from an approval and ask about conditions, revised plans and any later decisions. Keep the reference numbers together.
Check separate permissions
Building regulations approval and private title restrictions are separate from planning. Ask your conveyancer which documents or enquiries are needed for the particular works.
What the evidence cannot tell you.
Online registers vary in historical coverage. An absent result neither proves that no application exists nor establishes whether works are lawful. Aggregated planning data is not a complete local planning search.