Work Signals research guide
How Work Signals Collects & Matches Data
Our research process keeps the original planning facts, source scope and property identity visible. Import checks help catch data problems without claiming to verify every source statement.
Collection targets and published records
The national council inventory contains 382 current councils and additional planning register areas. Direct council collections, the Planning London Datahub, supplementary UK PlanIt sources and historical archives have different scopes. A configured target becomes published coverage after a successful collection and validation.
Collectors follow source-specific schedules and usage limits. A scheduled attempt can produce no new records or fail because the source is unavailable. The public coverage inventory describes the records actually published, while the back office tracks operational outcomes.
Preserve the meaning of dates
An application date, decision date, source release and collection timestamp are distinct. An old application collected today is not a new proposal. Records from archives remain identified as history, and sources without application dates do not acquire guessed dates from their collection time.
Validate structure before publication
Checks look for expected fields, duplicate references, invalid dates and unexpected source structure. Land imports validate archive structure, source counts and geometry. Sales promotion preserves existing records and checks transaction identifiers before committing additions. These checks establish usable source data; they do not independently certify every assertion in the original records.
Match evidence at the correct property
Sales, certificates, land identities and companies have different matching requirements. A complete address and postcode or verified official identifier can support a property join. Building and unit distinctions remain significant. A company-name candidate is labelled as a candidate rather than treated as an owner.
Scottish parcel identities are kept separate from HMLR identities. Scottish EPC non-address context is not attached to a planning property without a verified identity. Missing evidence is retained as a gap rather than filled by a nearby point, shared postcode or similar name.
Protect the planning inventory
Evidence enrichment preserves planning facts, references and council counts before replacing the published member collection. Counts are checked against the committed inventory. Supporting data is wider than the subset matched to individual planning scorecards, so both figures are described separately.
What a research signal means
A planning application is an indication of proposed work, not a confirmed contract, appointment or request for quotations. An evidence score helps review the available information. It does not establish a project’s budget, current owner or likelihood of becoming paid work.
Read how opportunity scores work, current coverage and sources and the property research guides. Our privacy notice explains account and site data use.