We sat down with Henry Crosby, CEO at Martello, to discuss all things data, and how the input of IBex’s API into their environmental search engine is providing conveyancers with the most accurate planning information in the UK.

Q: Henry, what made IBex stand out to you as a planning data provider?

“Firstly, their unwavering focus on solving one crucial problem: Serac Group’s IBex was the first team we’d come across who had genuinely come to understand all 300+ planning authorities. The level of detail they go into is off the charts, leaving no stone unturned. They have built something robust, from the ground up, with unmatched domain expertise. That’s rare.

Most companies see planning data as a scraping problem. The old-school ones outsource it to teams who don’t understand planning, portals or local government. The newer ones try to automate it with data engineers who are just as lost. Serac is built on a wealth of industry knowledge, recognising that the process requires a combination of technical and domain expertise.”

Q: Can you explain how the partnership came about? Was there a “lightbulb moment” for you?

"I spoke with Brandon after reading about their Planda products. I knew that, for that product to be even half-decent, there had to be a solid dataset underneath it. I’ve worked with planning data for over a decade and I had never seen anyone truly get it right.

What stood out to me were two things: 1) The sheer time, effort and money they had invested in getting this one thing right. They weren’t off chasing shiny objects. They were focused; 2) they perfectly understood why we have to be 100% accurate all of the time. In this industry, “almost correct” is still wrong.

I wasn’t looking for a supplier. I was looking for a business partner who would obsess over the minute details with us, who’d share our belief that clarity and certainty matter more than simply delivering data. They were the only team we found who had it."

Q: What does this partnership mean for conveyancers using Martello?

"It means no more missing planning data. When we first launched Martello, we left planning data out of our reports altogether. Why? Because I’d been working with this stuff for years and had never found a source I trusted.

Conveyancers were clear: Mistakes in searches are a dealbreaker. Clarity is non-negotiable. Even the Property Ombudsman and regulators told us that most of the complaints they receive are about missed planning applications. So we didn’t include it. We weren’t willing to offer something that wasn’t rock solid.

But then more and more clients started to ask for it. Loudly. And repeatedly.

So we built a workaround. Two suppliers, our own scrapers, and manual checks on every report. And it worked. We were accurate every time. But it was exhausting. We were spending so much time on planning data that we couldn’t innovate elsewhere.

Now, with IBex, we get an even higher level of accuracy without burning all our resources. The process is completely streamlined, and conveyancers get the most reliable planning data out there, whilst we get the time back to build more great stuff."

Q: Why is planning data such an important part of homebuyer due diligence?

"Because no one wants to find out after they’ve moved in that their peaceful woodland view is about to become a car park.

Planning data helps buyers understand what might change in the local area. That could be new housing, extensions, commercial buildings or road schemes. All of that affects the value of the property, how it can be used, and whether it's even mortgageable. It’s not just about what’s next door either. Planning data can show old applications, refused ones that might come back, and even community objections. It gives a clearer picture of how settled or dynamic the neighbourhood really is.

For conveyancers, it means fewer surprises and more confidence in their decision. For buyers, it means fewer surprises and more confidence in their decision."

Q: Can you tell me a bit more about the providers you were using before IBex? What was missing that you now have?

"The problem was that none of the suppliers really cared about being right. They didn’t understand how complex and messy planning data can be, or how differently each authority behaves. Our developers were stretched thin and couldn’t give the issue the attention it deserved.

We spoke to dozens of companies. When we got to IBex, we started testing. Then tested again. And again. And again. Every test came back strong. Then stronger. Then basically flawless. They understood the tech, the portals, the odd quirks of local government. But most importantly, they understood the needs of conveyancers and cared about the outcome for homebuyers.

We tried to catch them out. We really did. But they just kept getting it right."

Q: How will this partnership evolve over time?

"We’ve got big plans. Right now, IBex gives us the confidence to focus on other innovations while trusting that the planning data is 100% accurate.

The long-term goal is to use this data to go even further. We want to give conveyancers faster, clearer answers and help buyers get a more complete picture of the property they’re buying."

Q: What impact do you expect this partnership to have on turnaround times and follow-up actions?

"Turnaround times have already been massively improved. Our 24-hour SLA is barely a consideration now, most reports are returned in a couple of hours.

As for follow-up actions, it’s still early days. But as we build our new features using the IBex data, especially in late 2025 and early 2026, we expect to see a real drop in back-and-forth and clarification requests."

Q: Does this change what’s included in a standard Martello report?

"Not just yet. We’re still offering 10 years’ worth of planning applications in the local area. But soon, we’ll be incorporating a new map feature. It will include more planning boundary polygons than any other product on the market. That’s where things really start to level up."

To find out more about this partnership, take a look at this coverage:

https://insideconveyancing.co.uk/news/the-future-of-property-data-is-now-serac-group-x-martello/ 

https://todaysconveyancer.co.uk/new-tech-partnership-gives-conveyancers-full-coverage-uk-planning-data/