A Modest Proposal for an API to query planning data

We have recently been looking at Planning Application data and how it could best be accessed by programmers to create their own displays or to create plug-ins for Word Press etc.

As such, this is a sort of Request For Comments to find out if we are thinking on the right lines and whether we have missed any vital functionality.

An API implemented as a standard JSON web service using HTTP GET and POST requests.

Last Application:

eg /api/api.php?lastapplication

Returns :

{
   "Date": "2014-03-31"
}

Authorities held
eg /api/authorities

Returns :

[
{
   "Authority": "Birmingham",
   "Count": 2567
},
...
]

By Application number

eg /api/api.php?Birmingham&application=2014/01632/PA

Returns:

[ 
   { 
      "application": "2014/01632/PA", 
      "type": "Full Planning", 
      "address": "43-49 Vittoria Street Standard Works Birmingham B1 3ND", "registered": "26-03-2014",
      "decision": "Approve subject to Conditions", 
      "decisiondate": "", 
      "proposal": "Change of use to non residential institution (Use Class D1) with ancillary retail (A1), restaurant (A3), light industrial (B1c), residential (C2), assembly & leisure (D2) and associated works.",
      "officer": "Joanne McCallion", 
      "areateam": "P & R - City Centre Team", 
      "applicant": "RMLT", 
      "ward": "Ladywood", 
      "constituency": "Ladywood", 
      "appeal": "No", 
      "latitude": "52.4852057", 
      "longitude": "-1.9103936"
   },
   ... 
]

Constituencies within an Authority

eg /api/api.php?authority=Birmingham&constituencies

Returns:

[ 
   { "constituency": "", "count": 350},
   { "constituency": "Edgbaston", "count": 273},
   { "constituency": "Edgbaston, Erdington", "count": 1},
   { "constituency": "Erdington", "count": 135},
   { "constituency": "Hall Green", "count": 296},
   { "constituency": "Hodge Hill", "count": 207},
   { "constituency": "Ladywood", "count": 357},
   { "constituency": "Northfield", "count": 115},
   { "constituency": "Perry Barr", "count": 233},
   { "constituency": "Selly Oak", "count": 217},
   { "constituency": "Sutton Coldfield", "count": 264},
   { "constituency": "Yardley", "count": 169}
]

Wards within an Authority

eg /api/api.php?authority=Birmingham&wards

Returns:

[ 
   {"ward": "", "count": 352},
   { "ward": "Acocks Green", "count": 59},
   ...
   { "ward": "Weoley", "count": 39}
]

Applications for a Constituency

eg /api/api.php?authority=Birmingham&constituency=Edgbaston

Returns:

[ 
   { 
      "application": "2014/01666/PA", 
      "type": "Householder", 
      "address": "76 Quinton Lane Quinton Birmingham B32 2TX", 
      "registered": "13-03-2014", 
      "decision": "Approve subject to Conditions", 
      "decisiondate": "", 
      "proposal": "Erection of two storey side and single storey rear and forward extensions", 
      "officer": "George Baker", 
      "areateam": "P & R - Householder Team", 
      "applicant": "Mr Kieran Somerville", 
      "ward": "Quinton", 
      "constituency": "Edgbaston", 
      "appeal": "No", 
      "latitude": "52.4622565", 
      "longitude": "-1.9882998"},
      ...
   }
]

Applications for a Ward

eg /api/api.php?authority=”Birmingham”&ward=”Edgbaston”

Returns:

[ 
   { "application": "2014/01673/PA", 
      "type": "Non Material Amendment", 
      "address": "St Augustines Court 269 Hagley Road Birmingham B16 9JU", 
      "registered": "13-03-2014", 
      "decision": "Approve", 
      "decisiondate": "", 
      "proposal": "Non Material Amendment attached to approval 2011/08743/PA for alterations to panels of roller shutter and double louvre doors on the St Augustines Road and Hagley Road elevations.", 
      "officer": "Andrew Conroy", 
      "areateam": "P & R - South Team", 
      "applicant": "Mr Sam Wong", 
      "ward": "Edgbaston", 
      "constituency": "Edgbaston", 
      "appeal": "No", 
      "latitude": "52.4719667", 
      "longitude": "-1.9485604"
   },
   ...
]

Applications round a Postcode

eg eg /api/api.php?postcode=”B1+1BB”&radius=500

where radius is in metres.

Returns:

[
   { 
      "application": "2014/03369/PA", 
      "type": "Discharge Of Condition", 
      "address": "Edmund House 12 Newhall Street Birmingham B3 3EF", 
      "registered": "16-05-2014", 
      "decision": "Approve", 
      "decisiondate": "", 
      "proposal": "Application to determine the details for condition number 1 attached to approval 2013/07255/PA", 
      "officer": "Nicholas Jackson", 
      "areateam": "P & R - City Centre Team", 
      "applicant": "Prime Solutions (UK) Ltd", 
      "ward": "Ladywood", 
      "constituency": "Ladywood", 
      "appeal": "No", 
      "latitude": "52.4812075", 
      "longitude": "-1.9020824", 
      "distance": 101},  
 ...
]