Terms & Conditions
Before You Read the Legal Bit…
We’re here to make planning guidance simple and accessible — but like any responsible business, we’ve got to include the legal stuff too. By using Planning Buddy, you agree to the terms below.
They explain what we do (and what we don’t), how we protect our work, and where our responsibility ends. It’s not thrilling, but it keeps everything clear.
If you have any questions, just email us at:
Last updated: [Insert Date]
1. Introduction and Scope of Agreement
These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern the use of the Planning Buddy website, forms, services, tools, and content (collectively, the “Service”) provided by Planning Buddy (“we”, “us”, “our”). By accessing or using the Service, you (“you”, “the user”, or “the client”) agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not accept all terms herein, you must not use the Service.
Planning Buddy provides informal guidance, based on generalised technical interpretation of permitted development (PD) rules applicable in England and Wales, solely through structured online submissions. We do not accept, review, or interpret any data, proposals, sketches, documents, or communications outside of the official forms provided via our website or digital intake platform.
2. Nature of Service
Planning Buddy offers a digital review service that interprets user-submitted information in relation to permitted development regulations. The output is a digital report, intended solely to provide informal opinion and high-level guidance based on data provided by the user. This report does not constitute legal advice, architectural services, or formal planning consultancy. Planning Buddy does not submit applications, request pre-application advice from local authorities, or liaise with planning officers on your behalf.
No conclusions provided by the Service are definitive or binding on any planning authority.
3. User Responsibilities and Submission Limitations
3.1. All information must be submitted only via the forms provided on our website.
3.2. We do not accept data via email, sketches, handwritten notes, phone calls, image uploads, or any other informal medium.
3.3. Submissions must be clear, accurate, and complete. Incomplete or ambiguous submissions may be refused or delayed.
3.4. You are solely responsible for the accuracy of the details you provide, including property boundaries, dimensions, site conditions, planning history, and contextual limitations (e.g. listed status, Article 4 directions).
3.5. Reports are generated automatically and/or semi-automatically based on the answers you provide. If you provide incorrect or incomplete data, the resulting report will not be accurate, and we bear no liability for any consequences arising from that.
4. Deliverables
4.1. Deliverables include a PDF report or written summary, delivered electronically via email.
4.2. Report delivery timeframes are indicative only (e.g. 48 hours) and are not guaranteed. Delays may occur due to unclear submissions, technical issues, or high volume.
4.3. No hard copies will be issued.
4.4. No verbal advice or follow-up consultancy is provided beyond what is delivered in the report.
5. Disclaimer and No Reliance Clause
5.1. The Service is intended as a helpful check for homeowners and is not a replacement for formal legal advice, planning consultancy, architectural input, or a lawful development certificate issued by a council.
5.2. The output provided is based on interpretation of publicly available planning legislation and guidance as understood at the time of report generation.
5.3. You agree not to rely solely on our report to make decisions regarding building, demolition, financial investment, or property development.
5.4. Planning outcomes are subject to interpretation, discretion, and enforcement by local planning authorities — not by Planning Buddy.
6. Refunds, Revisions, and Cancellation
6.1. Refunds will not be issued once a report has been generated and delivered unless the service is demonstrably defective or the submission cannot be reasonably assessed due to technical error.
6.2. Submissions that are misleading, incomplete, or outside the scope of permitted development may be rejected. In these cases, a full or partial refund may be offered at our discretion.
6.3. Minor clarifications or corrections may be requested within 48 hours of delivery.
6.4. Planning Buddy is not obligated to revise or reprocess reports based on updated information after the initial submission.
7. Intellectual Property and Protection of Systems
7.1. All intellectual property rights in the reports, templates, decision-making logic, system flows, automation, website design, branding, and underlying processes used to deliver the Service are and remain the exclusive property of Planning Buddy.
7.2. You may not reproduce, redistribute, reverse-engineer, translate, frame, scrape, clone, copy, imitate, or otherwise replicate any part of the Service for personal, commercial, or educational use without express written consent.
7.3. This includes but is not limited to:
– Report content and structure
– Technical logic and flowcharts
– Submission forms
– Report automation scripts
– Output format and disclaimers
– Wording, tone, and branding
7.4. Any individual, business, or entity found to be imitating, reproducing, or substantially duplicating Planning Buddy’s method of operation, either in whole or in part, for the purpose of creating a competing product, service, or platform will be considered in breach of these Terms and may face legal action including but not limited to injunctive relief and damages.
8. Acceptable Use and Prohibited Conduct
You agree not to:
– Use the Service for illegal or fraudulent purposes
– Submit knowingly false or misleading information
– Attempt to interfere with or bypass system automation
– Impersonate another person or entity
– Use scraping, bots, or automated tools to extract content from the site
– Upload or link to any malicious software or code
9. Limitation of Liability
9.1. Planning Buddy is not liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from use of the Service.
9.2. We are not responsible for planning decisions made by councils or enforcement actions that result from client decisions.
9.3. We are not liable for financial losses, construction delays, or legal complications resulting from reliance on the Service.
9.4. Use of the Service is at your own risk and subject to your own interpretation and due diligence.
10. Data Protection and Confidentiality
10.1. Data submitted through the Service is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
10.2. You agree not to submit any confidential, sensitive, or protected personal data not necessary to complete the planning check.
10.3. Planning Buddy reserves the right to anonymise and use aggregated, non-identifiable data to improve service performance and reporting logic.
11. Amendments to Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. Updates will take effect immediately upon publication on the website. Continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be resolved exclusively in the courts of England and Wales. If any provision of these Terms is held to be unenforceable, it shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary, and all remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
13. Contact
Questions about these Terms may be directed to:
Your Privacy Matters to Us
At Planning Buddy, we believe homeowners should feel confident not just about their extension plans — but also about how their personal information is handled.
We only collect the information we need to provide your report, and we never sell or misuse your data. This policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, and how we keep it safe.
If you have any questions, just drop us a line at hello@planningbuddy.co.uk.
Last updated: [Insert Date]
1. Introduction and Purpose
Planning Buddy respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, process, and store information provided by you (“the user” or “client”) when using our website and services. By submitting information through our forms or using our Service, you consent to the practices described in this policy.
This policy applies solely to data collected through our official online submission forms. We do not accept or process data via email, image upload, phone call, or informal means. Do not submit any information through any channel other than those provided.
2. Data We Collect
We collect only the data required to assess your permitted development eligibility. This may include:
– Full name
– Contact email address
– Property address (including postcode)
– Project-related information submitted via structured form fields (e.g. measurements, positions, materials, etc.)
– Technical details such as submission timestamp or browser type
– Payment details (collected via a third-party processor)
We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal data (e.g. medical, racial, biometric). Do not include such data in your submission.
3. Method and Legal Basis for Collection
We collect personal data directly from you via forms that you complete voluntarily. You are under no obligation to use our service. By doing so, you explicitly consent to the processing of your data for the stated purposes.
Our legal bases for processing include:
– Performance of a contract (delivering your report)
– Consent (when you submit your data)
– Legal obligation (e.g. compliance with tax or data protection law)
– Legitimate interest (e.g. to prevent fraud, ensure system performance, or improve the service)
4. Use of Data
Your data is used strictly to:
– Generate a personalised PD compliance report
– Deliver that report to your email address
– Process your payment securely
– Communicate with you for clarification or support
– Improve system accuracy through anonymised, aggregated analysis
We do not conduct profiling or automated decision-making for marketing or advertising purposes.
5. Data Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell or rent your personal data. Data may be shared with trusted third-party service providers necessary for the operation of Planning Buddy. These may include:
– A payment processor (e.g. Stripe)
– Website form providers
– Cloud-based document generators and automation platforms
– Email systems (e.g. Google Workspace)
All third-party providers are under contractual obligations to safeguard your data and are compliant with GDPR or equivalent international frameworks.
6. Data Retention
Your data is retained only as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected. Typically:
– Submission and report data: up to 6 months
– Payment data: as required by tax and accounting law
– Backup and system logs: up to 12 months
– Communications (e.g. support email): up to 12 months
You may request early deletion once your report is received, unless legal obligations require us to retain it longer.
7. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk. These include:
– Secure encrypted storage
– Access controls and authentication
– Regular system reviews and monitoring
– Use of trusted, reputable infrastructure providers
While we take every reasonable precaution, no system is 100% secure. You accept this residual risk when submitting your data online.
8. Your Rights
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), you have the right to:
– Request access to the data we hold about you
– Request rectification of inaccurate data
– Request erasure of your data (“right to be forgotten”)
– Restrict or object to processing
– Withdraw consent (if processing was based on consent)
– Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
To exercise these rights, email hello@planningbuddy.co.uk. We aim to respond within 30 days.
9. Use of Cookies and Analytics
We may use essential cookies to ensure functionality of the website and non-essential tools such as Google Analytics to monitor performance. These may collect:
– Browser type
– Device type
– Pages visited
– Duration of session
– Referring site
Analytics tools anonymise or pseudonymise data and do not identify individual users. You can opt out via your browser settings or using industry-standard opt-out tools.
10. International Transfers
Some data processing may involve transfer to service providers outside the UK. In such cases, we ensure providers meet adequate safeguards such as:
– Binding corporate rules
– Standard contractual clauses
– Privacy Shield or similar frameworks (where applicable)
11. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Updates will be posted on our website and take immediate effect. Continued use of the service implies acceptance of the latest version.
12. Contact
For any privacy-related enquiries, or to exercise your data rights, contact: