Planning alerts tell you a neighbour applied. SiteLens tells you which applications are work.
MB Planning Alerts emails you when an application lands in a saved postcode district, free for one location. SiteLens classifies every new application across 380+ UK councils by trade, project type and value band, with the applicant and agent on Pro.
Try Pro free for 7 days, no card. Sign up, then start it on the upgrade page.
Which applications mean work for you
MB Planning Alerts tells you what is proposed in a saved postcode district. SiteLens tells you which new applications mean work for you, each classified by trade, valued and briefed, so a £15k extension and a £2m scheme look different at a glance.
The contacts behind the application
On Pro, SiteLens shows the applicant and agent behind each scheme, source-labelled, and the Companies House profile of the firms involved. The company numbers are on every plan. A proximity alert stops at the application.
Every council, filtered by what you do
SiteLens covers 380+ UK councils on every plan and filters the feed by trade, value band and area, so a roofer in the South West sees roofing work in the South West.
SiteLens vs MB Planning Alerts
Feature-for-feature, based on publicly available information.
| Feature | SiteLens | MB Planning Alerts |
|---|---|---|
| Core function | Trade-classified lead feed from every new application | Alerts on new applications in a saved postcode district |
| Built for | Subcontractors, material suppliers, specialist trades, small developers | Homeowners, home buyers, and anyone watching a specific area |
| Public, transparent pricing | Included | Included |
| Free tier | Yes, free forever, unlimited views, no card | Yes, one saved location and a daily digest |
| Paid price | £39/mo, or £29/mo billed annually | £3.99/mo or £29/yr (Premium) |
| Council coverage | 380+ UK councils | 173 authorities (per its own site) |
| AI classification by trade & project type | Included | Not included |
| Estimated project value band | Included | Not included |
| Plain-English project brief per application | Included | Council description as published |
| Applicant & agent contacts | Yes (Pro), source-labelled | Not included |
| Companies House on the firms behind a scheme | Numbers free, profile on Pro | Not included |
| Filter the feed by trade and value | Included | Not included |
| Alerts on a saved place | Area and keyword alerts | Yes, by postcode district |
| Unlimited saved areas | Alert allowance by plan | Yes, on Premium |
| CSV export | Pro | Not on its pricing page |
| Contract | Monthly or annual, cancel any time | Monthly or annual |
When you should still pick MB Planning Alerts
Pick it if the question is about a place rather than a pipeline. To know what is proposed near your home or a site you own, a postcode-district alert is the right tool. One location is free, Premium is £3.99 a month, and it needs no card to start.
SiteLens is built for finding work across a whole patch. If you are not selling into construction, it is more tool than you need.
Frequently asked
How much does MB Planning Alerts cost?
Browsing is free, and a free account gets one saved location with a daily digest. Premium is £3.99 a month, or £29 paid yearly, and adds unlimited saved locations and a faster alert option. Alerts follow a postcode district rather than a radius. Figures are from planningalerts.org.uk as at 27 September 2026.
Is this the Planning Alerts at planning.org.uk?
No. This page compares MB Planning Alerts at planningalerts.org.uk. Planning Alerts at planning.org.uk is a separate service: construction-lead alerts priced by radius, free within a quarter of a mile and up to £100 a month for national coverage, from 241 planning authorities, with the applicant and agent details the council publishes.
What is the best planning alert service for builders?
It depends whether you watch one place or look for work across a patch. Proximity alerts suit a homeowner watching a site. A trade needs every new application across its area, filtered to the work it does, with the applicant or agent to contact. That is why SiteLens classifies each application by trade and value band, not only by location.
Are planning alerts free?
Both have a free tier. MB Planning Alerts gives you one saved location and a daily digest. SiteLens is free forever with unlimited application views and one daily alert, no card. MB Premium adds locations and faster alerts. SiteLens Pro adds the contacts, analytics and extra alerts that turn an application into a lead you can quote for.
Comparing SiteLens to other planning intelligence tools
- SiteLens vs Glenigan
- SiteLens vs Barbour ABI
- SiteLens vs Planning Pipe
- SiteLens vs Buildscout
- SiteLens vs SearchLand
- SiteLens vs LandInsight
- SiteLens vs Nimbus Maps
- SiteLens vs PlanTrack
- SiteLens vs BuildAlert
- SiteLens vs PropertyData
- SiteLens vs Checkatrade
- SiteLens vs MyBuilder
- SiteLens vs Constructionline
- SiteLens vs Strukta