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# Can we really have a planning application from 1946?
- URL: https://bristol-uncovered.uk/can-we-really-have-a-planning-application-from-1946/
- Published: 2026-11-02T21:59:50.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-02T22:11:30.000Z
- Author: Chris McEvoy

This is the question that Councillor David Wilcox asked at today's Economy and Skills Committee.

Simone Wilding (Head of Planning) was clearly flummoxed by this question.

> the dashboard still throws mysteries at us  
> there is definitely data gremlins in it

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/7e/00/7e00f3c6-351e-48d6-a922-14b85820294b/content/images/2026/11/image-31.png)

I reported on [this specific application](https://pa.bristol.gov.uk/online-applications/caseDetails.do?action=dispatch&keyVal=BDC9400076&caseType=Application&ref=bristol-uncovered.uk) in [January 2026](https://bristol-uncovered.uk/planning-applications-how-long-to-decide/).

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/7e/00/7e00f3c6-351e-48d6-a922-14b85820294b/content/images/2026/11/image-35.png)

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/7e/00/7e00f3c6-351e-48d6-a922-14b85820294b/content/images/2026/11/image-32.png)](https://bristol-uncovered.uk/planning-applications-how-long-to-decide/)

It seems that I know more about Bristol Planning Applications that the Head of Planning!

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Anyone who has used the [Bristol Planning Portal](https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/planning-and-building-regulations/planning-applications/search-and-track-planning-applications/look-at-and-track-planning-applications?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk) knows how awful it is.

The Councillors clearly have the same problems that residents have.

The problems with the portal are blamed on "[bots and scrapers](https://www.youtube.com/live/DEjqKY-rKmM?si=fvHNUUTd9IWGyFo4&t=2345&ref=bristol-uncovered.uk)".

The Planning Department response has been to block access from outside of the UK. I assume they are specifically trying to block AI scrapers from the US and China. This is a very crude method of dealing with excessive demand.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/7e/00/7e00f3c6-351e-48d6-a922-14b85820294b/content/images/2026/11/image-33.png)

Because the Planning Portal does not provide modern data access/export mechanisms the only way of getting the data is to scrape it.

I scrape the data from the Planning Portal to produce my Planning Reports on [BU Uncovered](https://www.youtube.com/live/DEjqKY-rKmM?si=fvHNUUTd9IWGyFo4&t=2345&ref=bristol-uncovered.uk). I do this in an ethical way, by mimicking the behaviour of a human user and not putting excessive demands on the service.

Earlier this year BCC [removed all Planning Enforcement data](https://bristol-uncovered.uk/planning-enforcement-notices-have-been-removed-by-bcc/) from the system, which makes it very difficult to understand how Enforcement is actually working.

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[Andrew Lynch reported](https://thebristolchannel.uk/planning-boss-quits/?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk) that Simone Wilding was leaving Bristol City Council to work in Reading.

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/7e/00/7e00f3c6-351e-48d6-a922-14b85820294b/content/images/2026/11/image-34.png)](https://thebristolchannel.uk/planning-boss-quits/?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk)

The Committee seemed surprised that the [Planning Portal was going to be replaced](https://www.youtube.com/live/DEjqKY-rKmM?si=LSENbDzAfa5H5MLC&t=2971&ref=bristol-uncovered.uk). This shows that the politicians don't really know what is going on with planning.

Simone Wilding's incoherent responses show that she doesn't appear to understand the Planning Portal either.

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By hiding the planning data behind archaic systems that cannot provide the services required, Councillors and Residents cannot understand what is actually going on the BCC Planning Department.