FAQ
Straight answers.
We would rather say no than sell you a petition, a legal service, or a guarantee the council will refuse the extension.
Is it always 21 days?
That is the usual minimum consultation period in England, not a statute that every case follows. We use the date published on the council record. Some applications are different. Some clocks restart when drawings are amended.
Does the council have to write to me?
Often no. For many householder schemes they may put a site notice on a lamp post, or write only to adjoining occupiers. That is why people on the same street still miss it.
Can I object through 21days?
No. Comments belong on the council portal. We send you the link while the window is open.
Will this stop the extension, the tree, or the flats?
No. Commenting is how you are heard. The council decides. We sell time, not an outcome.
What does £5.99 buy?
One application, start to finish, including amendments in English. Days left in the email. Other applications at this house. Paid once. Not a subscription.
What does £6.99 a month buy?
Two miles around your home: planning nearby, sold houses, alerts — new work, amendments in English, and nearby decisions — a watchlist with days left, this house’s history, designations on your plot, and filters. Cancel whenever.
Why pay £59.99 a year?
Ten miles, paid once. Same watch as monthly — including nearby decisions, this house, and plot designations. Twelve months at £6.99 is £83.88. The year is £59.99.
What can I filter by?
Paid plans only. Leave every filter off to hear about everything in your radius. The types come from the application description, not the council’s own category — those labels are often wrong.
- Extensions — rear, side, front, two-storey, porch, conservatory
- Lofts and roof — dormers, loft conversions, roof works
- New homes — new dwellings, annexes, basements
- Garden and outbuildings — garages, garden rooms, driveways, fences, pools
- Solar and energy — solar, heat pumps, EV charging
- Windows and walls — windows, doors, render, internals
- Demolition
- Trees — tree works and preservation orders
- Change of use — shops, flats, HMOs, conversions
- Paperwork — conditions, certificates, prior approval
- Other — telecoms, agricultural, unclassified
Are filters only on the yearly plan?
No. Paying is the gate. Monthly and yearly get the same filters. Yearly is a wider radius — ten miles instead of two.
Do you tell me when something nearby is decided?
Yes, on a paid watch. Permitted, refused, or withdrawn — not only new submissions. Too late to comment on that one; still worth knowing if you are watching the street.
What does “this house” mean?
Other applications at the same address. What has already been asked for here. It is not a prediction, and it is not every application on the street.
What counts as an amendment?
When the council rewrites the proposal. We send a one-line English summary — a loft appearing, solar dropping off — not the full before-and-after text. Some clocks restart when drawings are amended; we still use the date on the council record.
How close is “next door”?
Under about twenty metres we say next door. Under about forty, adjoining. Further than that, yards or miles. Search lists nearest first.
Do you show if my house is in a conservation area?
If the plot is covered, we show conservation area, Article 4, listed building outline, and tree preservation zone — from planning.data.gov.uk. Indicative only. Not a formal local authority search. Always confirm with the council before relying on it.
Why not a town-wide alert?
Those cover the whole authority. This is the closing date on your street, including amendments in English and nearby decisions. That is the work, and that is what the year plan pays for.
Is this official?
No. The council portal is the source. We are a private product. Not affiliated with any planning authority.
Do you send letters to my neighbours?
No. 21days does not print or post neighbour letters. Comments belong on the council form.
What if my council is slow to publish?
We can only alert what the authority has put on its register. If they are late, we are late. We do not invent applications.
Do you show sold houses?
Yes. Recent completions from Land Registry, next to the planning search. Newly sold houses are the ones most likely to make changes, so they are worth tracking — not as a price list.
Where does it work?
English planning registers we already read. Search your postcode — if nothing is there, say so on the contact form rather than paying for a blank street.
Is 21days instead of the council’s own email alerts?
No. Where a council offers alerts, those are official. 21days is extra time on your street: days left, amendments in English, nearby decisions. Comments still go on the council form. See Compare.
Is there VAT on 21days?
The figures on the site are what you pay. We are not VAT registered, so there is no VAT to add on top.
Can I cancel?
Yes. The monthly watch stops when you cancel. The £5.99 single-application watch is paid once and is not a subscription. The year is paid once for twelve months.
Is this the official council alert or GOV.UK Planning Alerts?
No. The council portal is the source. 21days is a private product. It is not affiliated with any planning authority, and it is not the old PlanningAlerts service.
Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?
We read English planning registers. Search your postcode first — if nothing is there, use the contact form rather than paying for a blank street.
Do you need my home listed on Google?
No. 21days is a website you sign into. We do not publish your address as a business listing.
Do you sell my details or write to my neighbours for me?
No. We do not print neighbour letters, and we do not sell your details on. Comments belong on the council form.