London, UK - 16 February 2026 

Starting today, applicants can submit planning applications through Planda Portal, a new AI-powered platform that validates submissions against national requirements before they reach councils. This upstream validation identifies missing or incorrect documentation, reducing the risk of invalid returns and giving applicants greater certainty that their submission meets council standards.

Validation remains one of the most resource-intensive stages of the planning process. Around 50% of applications are returned as invalid, requiring repeated officer review and administrative handling before they can formally enter the system.

Planda Portal aims to address this friction without requiring legislative change or additional public funding. By automatically checking applications before they reach planning teams, Planda Portal saves councils between £50,000-£500,000 annually. The platform integrates directly into council back-office systems via standard 1APP feeds, operating within the existing planning framework.

“Validation is a necessary part of the planning process, but it is also one of the most repetitive and administratively heavy stages,” said Brandon Johnson, CEO of Serac Group. “Planda Portal has been built to work with the planning system as it exists today, helping applicants get submissions right first time, and enabling officers to spend more time assessing applications rather than managing preventable errors.”

The platform incorporates the same validation logic that powers Ava, Serac Group’s application validation assistant, trusted by local authority planning teams.

In addition to pre-submission validation, the platform provides applicants with real-time visibility on application status, feedback and decisions. Decision-level planning data offers insight into approval rates, timelines and local activity both prior to and during submission.

The platform has been designed with all stakeholders in mind; applicants benefit from greater certainty, while local authorities retain full control over validation decisions, and professional judgement remains central to the process.

“This isn’t about replacing officers or changing planning policy,” Johnson added. “It’s about improving the quality of submissions entering the system and reducing administrative burden. Even modest reductions in avoidable validation work could unlock significant officer time and public spending.”

Ready to submit with confidence?

Visit https://app.plandaportal.co.uk/ to validate and submit your planning application today. 

If you're a local authority, get in touch with our team to learn about integration and onboarding.