United Kingdom · professional referral
For architects, planning consultants, and project managers
When your client needs a clean reading of a sealed UK planning decision notice for a project file, DecisionBrief delivers a sourced PDF in 24 hours. Conditions classified by trigger. Council wording cited. £79 per notice. Not planning advice. Not discharge writing.
Who this is for
You are an architect, planning consultant, project manager, or cost consultant working on a UK development site. Your client has received planning permission and needs to know which conditions block first works, which block occupation, and which run through completion. You need a reading the client can add to the project file, the contractor can programme from, and the quantity surveyor can cost.
DecisionBrief classifies every numbered condition on the sealed decision notice and cites the council wording. Your client — or you — orders with the notice URL and a work email. Stripe invoice. PDF in 24 hours.
What DecisionBrief is
A sourced, plain-English PDF that:
- states the permission in one page;
- lists every numbered condition on the sealed (or written) decision notice;
- classifies each as pre-commencement, during works, pre-occupation, or compliance-only;
- cites the council wording, so the trigger is visible ("no development shall commence until…", "prior to construction above foundation…", "shall not be occupied until…", or an ongoing duty);
- redacts neighbour personal names from the public notice.
£79 per notice. One named UK planning decision. 24-hour turnaround from payment and a URL that opens.
If the sealed notice is thin or cannot be opened, the PDF says so. We do not invent conditions from an officer report alone.
Read the live York sample — 25/01211/FUL, 45 Hempland Lane, where the sealed Idox PDF could not be opened from this desk.
What it is not
- Not planning advice. We read the public notice and classify the triggers. We do not advise on lawfulness, implementability, or whether the permission is a good idea.
- Not discharge-application writing. We classify the conditions and cite the wording. We do not prepare a CEMP, LEMP, WSI, biodiversity gain plan, waste strategy, or any other reserved matter.
- Not a search service. You or your client already has the notice. We read the one you send.
How referral works
Three ways to use DecisionBrief with your client:
1. Direct client order (you recommend)
Point your client to decisionbrief.co.uk/order.html. They paste the council notice URL, enter their work email, and pay the £79 Stripe invoice. PDF in 24 hours. You remain arms-length; they own the reading.
2. You order on behalf of the client
Use your practice email on the order form. Note the client reference in the "Anything we should know" field. Invoice and PDF come to your email. Add the PDF to the client file or forward it on.
3. Forward the notice to hello@decisionbrief.co.uk
Email the council notice URL (or attach the sealed decision PDF) to hello@decisionbrief.co.uk from your work email. Note the client name and whether you need the invoice addressed to you or to them. We reply with the Stripe invoice link. PDF follows in 24 hours once paid.
All three routes produce the same sourced reading. VAT is not charged (UK sole trader below the threshold).
Reading guides for your clients
Short informational pages your clients can read before ordering. Not planning advice:
- Decision notice vs officer report — which document binds, and why the sealed notice comes first.
- How to read condition timing — pre-commencement, during works, pre-occupation, compliance-only, with York wording patterns.
- Section 106 vs conditions on the decision notice — spotting obligation wording versus the numbered schedule.
- Pre-commencement vs pre-occupation — the two trigger labels mixed up most often.
Live sample
City of York Council · 3 September 2026
25/01211/FUL — 45 Hempland Lane
A mix of true pre-commencement conditions (CEMP, archaeology WSI, LEMP), pre-occupation highway and waste conditions, and compliance-only items (time limit, approved plans, obscure glazing). The sample says where the sealed Idox decision PDF could not be opened from this desk.
Questions
Can I include the DecisionBrief PDF in a client deliverable pack?
Yes. The PDF is sent to the email on the order. You may include it in project files, contractor packs, or cost-consultant briefings. It remains a sourced reading, not planning advice, and the council's decision notice remains the legal document.
Can I order on account or get a purchase order?
Not at this time. Payment is by Stripe invoice before the reading begins. The invoice is emailed to the address on the order form. No purchase-order or account terms are available.
Do you offer a professional or trade discount?
No. £79 per notice is the price for all orders, whether from a homeowner, an architect, or a developer. Volume discounts are not offered.
What if my client's sealed notice is thin, or the council register is gated?
The PDF will say the notice is thin and cite what could be read. If we cannot open a public decision (captcha, broken link, no sealed PDF posted), we refund. We do not invent conditions from an officer report we cannot verify against the sealed wording.
Is this planning advice?
No. It is a sourced reading of a public notice. The council's decision notice remains the legal document. If your client needs advice, they should instruct a planning consultant or solicitor.
Will you write the discharge applications?
No. We classify the conditions and cite the wording. We do not prepare or lodge an application for approval of details reserved by condition.
Who runs DecisionBrief?
Ellis Greensitt, sole trader, trading as DecisionBrief. English law. See terms and privacy. Email hello@decisionbrief.co.uk. No telephone.