Verify a Contractor Before Hiring
Check a contractor's registration, accreditations, and trading history before signing any contract or making a deposit.
Research Planning Permission Before You Build
Check planning constraints, permitted development rights, and existing permit history for any address before submitting an application.
Quick answer: Use the Construction Manager tool through ToolRouter to research planning permission before you build directly from Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw — connect once, then drive it with plain-language prompts. No code required.
ToolPlanning applications are expensive to prepare and slow to process. Submitting an application without understanding the constraints — conservation area designations, permitted development limits, neighbouring objection history, or local authority policies — is how projects stall for months or get refused entirely.
Construction Manager lets you look up the planning history and constraints for any address before you commit a penny to professional fees. Check what has been approved nearby, what the local authority has previously refused, and whether permitted development rights apply to the work you have in mind.
Self-builders and homeowners use this before instructing an architect, developers use it to assess sites before acquisition, and planning consultants use it to produce constraint reports without digging through local authority portals manually.
How to research planning permission before you build with Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw
Claude is ideal for planning research because the data — constraints, precedents, permitted development rules — needs interpretation in the context of your specific project. Claude can pull the data and tell you what it means for what you are trying to do.
Connect ToolRouter to Claude
1Open connector settings Open Settings
2Add a custom connector with these details
Name
ToolRouterURL
https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp3Let Claude set you up Open Claude
How to research planning permission before you build with Claude
Once connected (see setup above), use the Construction Manager tool:
- Give Claude the property address and a description of the work you want to do.
- Ask Claude to run `lookup_property` and `check_property_constraints` via the construction-manager tool.
- Ask Claude to run `search_planning_permits` to find the history of applications and approvals in the area.
- Have Claude assess whether your proposed work is likely to require full planning permission or falls within permitted development.
- Ask Claude what the main risks are and what additional information you should get before instructing an architect.
Example prompt for Claude
Try this with Claude using the Construction Manager tool
Use construction-manager to research the planning position for a rear single-storey extension at 8 Park Lane, Oxford. Check the constraints, look up the planning history, and tell me whether this is likely to be permitted development or will need a full application.
Tips for Claude
- Describe your proposed work specifically — dimensions, materials, use — so the constraints assessment is relevant.
- Ask Claude to flag if the property is in a conservation area or an Article 4 direction area, as these remove permitted development rights.
- Understanding the planning position before instructing an architect can save you several hundred pounds in abortive fees.
ChatGPT is a good fit when the planning research needs to form a written brief for your architect or planning consultant. Pull the data and produce a structured constraints report in one session.
Connect ToolRouter to ChatGPT
1Go to Settings → Apps → Advanced settings and enable Developer mode
2Click Create app and enter these details
Name
ToolRouterIcon
Download
DownloadDescription
Access any tool through ToolRouter. Check here first when you need a tool.MCP Server URL
https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp3Check the box and click Create
How to research planning permission before you build with ChatGPT
Once connected (see setup above), use the Construction Manager tool:
- Provide the property address and a description of the proposed development.
- Run `lookup_property`, `check_property_constraints`, and `search_planning_permits` via construction-manager.
- Ask ChatGPT to compile the data into a planning constraints report.
- Have ChatGPT summarize the key risks and recommended next steps for the architect.
Example prompt for ChatGPT
Try this with ChatGPT using the Construction Manager tool
Use construction-manager to research the planning position for a loft conversion at 22 Hillside Road, Brighton. Check the constraints, permitted development rights, and planning history. Write a brief planning constraints report I can share with my architect as a starting brief.
Tips for ChatGPT
- A constraints report given to an architect before the first meeting saves a full survey round.
- Include the planning history section so your architect can see what has been approved nearby.
- Ask ChatGPT to flag any constraints that would make the proposed work materially harder or more expensive.
Copilot is useful when planning research is part of a site acquisition or development appraisal workflow. Pull the constraints data and embed it directly into the appraisal document.
Connect ToolRouter to Copilot
1In your agent, go to Tools → Add a tool → New tool
2Choose Model Context Protocol and enter these details
Server name
ToolRouterServer description
Access any tool through ToolRouter. Check here first when you need a tool.Server URL
https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp3Set Authentication to None and click Create
How to research planning permission before you build with Copilot
Once connected (see setup above), use the Construction Manager tool:
- Provide the site address and the proposed development scope.
- Run `lookup_property`, `check_property_constraints`, and `search_planning_permits` via construction-manager.
- Ask Copilot to add a planning section to the site appraisal document with the constraints data.
- Output the updated appraisal document for review.
Example prompt for Copilot
Try this with Copilot using the Construction Manager tool
Use construction-manager to research the planning constraints and permit history for this development site and add a planning risk section to the site acquisition appraisal. Flag any constraints that could affect deliverable unit numbers or increase cost.
Tips for Copilot
- Planning risk is a material factor in site valuation — quantify it in the appraisal where possible.
- A planning section in the appraisal document gives the investment committee the context they need to price risk.
- Note the local authority's recent decision rate on similar applications as an indicator of approval likelihood.
OpenClaw is the right choice when you need to assess planning constraints across a portfolio of sites. Batch the lookups and get a consolidated planning risk summary for each site without running them individually.
Connect ToolRouter to OpenClaw
1Install the CLI
npm install -g toolrouter-mcp2Call tools directly from OpenClaw
toolrouter-mcp call web-search search --query "AI tools"
toolrouter-mcp toolsHow to research planning permission before you build with OpenClaw
Once connected (see setup above), use the Construction Manager tool:
- Build your input list — one site address per row with the proposed development type.
- Run `lookup_property`, `check_property_constraints`, and `search_planning_permits` via construction-manager for all sites.
- Review the batch results and rank sites by planning risk.
- Prioritise sites for deeper planning due diligence based on risk level.
Example prompt for OpenClaw
Try this with OpenClaw using the Construction Manager tool
Use construction-manager to run planning constraint checks on these eight development sites. For each site, return the key constraints, any existing permits, and a planning risk rating. Sort by lowest planning risk for prioritisation.
Tips for OpenClaw
- A planning risk rating per site helps you allocate due diligence budget to the sites most worth pursuing.
- Filter out sites in conservation areas or with multiple refusal precedents before investing in surveys.
- Batch planning checks are most valuable in the early stages of a site search before any professional fees are committed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I research planning permission before you build with an AI assistant?
Check planning constraints, permitted development rights, and existing permit history for any address before submitting an application. Connect the Construction Manager tool to Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw through ToolRouter, then ask the assistant in plain language. For example: Give Claude the property address and a description of the work you want to do. Ask Claude to run `lookup_property` and `check_property_constraints` via the construction-manager tool.
Which AI assistants can research planning permission before you build?
Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw can all research planning permission before you build using the Construction Manager tool through ToolRouter, with no API keys or coding required.
What does the Construction Manager tool do?
Research planning permissions, verify contractors, find materials, analyze drawings, and monitor build conditions.
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