What is a town planning CRM?
A town planning CRM is a client and case management system built around planning applications rather than sales deals. Alongside the client, it tracks the site, the local planning authority, the statutory deadlines and the conditions, which a generic sales CRM cannot do without heavy customisation.
PlanProve is a town planning CRM. This page sets out where it differs from the generic sales CRMs many consultants start with, and when you might not need either.
Free for verified planning professionals until 3 December 2026.
How does a town planning CRM differ from a generic sales CRM?
A generic sales CRM is organised around a deal that ends when it is won. A town planning CRM is organised around a site whose work runs on long after instruction.
| Aspect | Generic sales CRM | Town planning CRM |
|---|---|---|
| The core record | The core recordA deal or a contact | A site, holding every stage of its planning journey |
| Pipeline stages | Pipeline stagesSales stages you define yourself | Site appraisal, pre-application, planning application, reserved matters and discharge of conditions, built in |
| Key dates | Key datesFollow-up dates you set | The determination date, worked out from the validation date and statutory period, plus extensions of time, consultation closing and the planning guarantee |
| Reminders | RemindersTasks you remember to create | Emails 4 weeks, 2 weeks and 1 week before the determination date, and on the day |
| Documents | DocumentsAttachments on a record | Validation letters read for the decision deadline, and decision notices read for their conditions |
| The land | The landNo concept of a site | Constraint checks for sites in England: conservation areas, listed buildings, flood zones, Article 4 directions and more |
| When the record ends | When the record endsWhen the deal is won or lost | When the last condition is discharged |
Can a generic sales CRM be used for planning work?
Yes, for the front end. A generic sales CRM handles enquiries and quotes well. It breaks down once the job is instructed, because nothing in it knows what a planning application is.
Consultants who start with a generic sales CRM tend to bolt on the rest. Each workaround is reasonable on its own. Together they mean the dates that matter most live in the places least likely to be checked.
The usual workarounds:
- Custom fields for the LPA reference and the case officer
- A spreadsheet of determination dates and extensions of time
- Calendar reminders for consultation closing dates
- A folder of decision notices, with the conditions tracked by hand
What should a town planning CRM track?
At a minimum: the site, each application on it, the dates the authority sets, and what happens after the decision. PlanProve tracks all of these.
- The site address and the planning constraints on it
- Each application on the site, with its LPA reference and case officer
- The validation date, statutory period and determination date, and any extension of time
- Consultation closing dates
- The outcome: approved, refused, withdrawn or pending appeal
- Every condition on the decision, through to discharge
- The client, the fee proposal and the invoices
When is a spreadsheet enough?
When you have a handful of live applications and nobody else needs to see them. A spreadsheet stops being enough when deadlines start to overlap, or when a colleague or client needs to know where things stand without asking you.
A well-kept spreadsheet is a perfectly good tool. The risk is that it only reminds you of a date when you open it. A town planning CRM can email you before a determination date whether you look or not.
If you are ready to move on from one, see how PlanProve works as a CRM for town planning consultants, including importing your live jobs from a CSV file.
Common questions
Is a town planning CRM the same as practice management software?
They overlap. A town planning CRM centres on clients and planning jobs; practice management adds the running of the firm itself, such as team tasks, time recording and a shared noticeboard. PlanProve does both. See PlanProve as practice management software.
Do I have to set up the pipeline stages myself?
No. The planning stages are built in, from site appraisal to discharge of conditions, and when you create a site you can have AI draft its stages for you.
Will my data be locked in?
No. You can export your account data from Settings at any time.
Can I try it alongside the CRM I already use?
Yes. PlanProve is free until 3 December 2026 with no card required, so you can run a few live jobs in it while your current system stays in place.
More on PlanProve for planning consultants
Or see every PlanProve feature and pricing.
See the difference on your own caseload.
Free for verified planning professionals until 3 December 2026. No card required.