Remember you are not paying for the search itself, so you can refine it repeatedly until you achieve the most accurate results. A good rule of thumb for COMPASS is to start with a simple strategy and progressively add in the parameters that narrow the search. If your results appear inaccurate it is easy to backtrack a stage and try a different approach. If you over-complicate the search you will make it exclude many results. If you need search help please give us a call. If you are finding your search too problematic, we still offer our expert COMPASS Appeals service. Please telephone 01452 835820 and we will be happy to carry out a COMPASS search for you.
I cannot see all the parameters I wish to search on
COMPASS online has two types of user.
- A paid subscriber; and
- Non subscriber access
If you have registered for a username and password with COMPASS online and do not have a full paid subscription, then the advanced searching options available to you are restricted compared to the full subscriber options.
For example, if you are a non subscriber you will not be able to look for a keyword instead your search will be limited to ten broad use classes.
If you wish to take out a full subscription to COMPASS online enabling you to search by all options call 01452 835820
My Search boxes do not allow for keywords
The use of keyword searches is restricted to full paying subscribers of COMPASS online only.
What is the difference between the search tab and quick search?
There are two methods of searching COMPASS online, the quick search and advanced search tabs.
The Quick Search for paid subscribers is designed for searching on a single word eg "housing" or a phrase such as "permitted development" (although for non subscribers this field is replaced by use class searching). You can also search for a DCS reference, an Inspector name or an Authority. These are the four boxes you can see in the grey bar in the upper part of your screen.
The tab titled "Search" will allow you to use the advanced search tool. This differs between a subscriber and non subscriber access
For subscribers the advanced search tab allows you to carry out more complicated searches, such as development types and combinations of keywords and phrases.
How do I find the advanced codes (development, issue etc) I am looking for?
For paid subscribers the best way to find the indexed terms you are searching for is to use the Table of Contents function. To access this you need to hit the Search tab at the top of the screen. Using the issue of affordable housing provision as an example of a topic you may want to search on, you firstly need to select the "Issue" field using the dropdown arrow in the top left search box. Then select the table of contents icon next to the search button and drill down (using the + to expand the table of contents) to affordable housing (code 97). Clicking on this code will enter it in your search box. As you want to search for all the different affordable housing codes (970 – 977) you will need to put an asterisk (*) after the 97 code. Hitting the search button will then return all cases where affordable housing has been an issue. If the code has an i in front of it then there is further information available on the code – hover over the code description to find out this information.
Remember that if you wish to search for two or more codes then you need to separate them with a comma (which acts as an "and"). If you wish to return cases where either of two codes has been used then put each code on a separate line and change the far left dropdown arrow to "OR". See the "Combination Searches" section below for more details.
Which codes can I search for using the Table of Contents
The following codes can be searched on using the Table of Contents:- Proposal, Legal, Issue, Development, Appeal Type, Unit, Site.
COMPASS Online informs me the PDF of my case is not available
Although we do endeavour to have as many PDF's of appeal decisions online as possible, some of our older cases have never been scanned. We are adding these to our electronic library as and when they are requested, in addition we also have a programme for adding the cases we are aware have not been scanned. If you discover an appeal decision you wish to download which is listed but has no PDF please email dcs@haymarket.com . If you require the decision urgently, you can call 01452 835820.
I cannot see a Planning Inspectorate reference number
For non-subscribers we do not publish the Planning Inspectorate or Local Authority references. The Planning Inspectorate reference is searchable but only if you have the APP reference number. You only need to use the last seven digits of the reference number to carry out your search.
How do I do a date search?
To search by exact date, select the "Exact date" check box in the advanced search tab. If you wish to select a date range, enter the earlier date in the top box and the end date in the bottom box, in the format dd/mm/yyyy.
How do I do a combination search?
This is where COMPASS online becomes very powerful. By using the Operator box at the left side of the advanced search screen, you can combine search terms to get an accurate and narrow set of results. To do this you can select the AND, OR or NOT operator. The NOT operator excludes the search term you entered from the results
How do I use the pick lists and Browse?
If you wish to use the pick lists (particularly useful for inspector and authority searches and where the table of contents button is not available), please use the small button to the right of the text entry box with the three dots in it. This will allow you to search certain indexes for keywords.
Another search option is to use the Browse tab at the top of the screen. You can use this for a fairly broad brush approach to searching within categories. For example, if you want all the cases where the issue is affordable housing provision, select browse and then select the "Issue" button. Then type 'Aff' into the search box and select find. This will bring up all the issue codes beginning with 'aff' and will display Affordable Housing at the top. The number of relevant appeals will be displayed next to the issue. To display all the appeals simply click on the affordable housing link.
How do I search for a Planning Inspectorate reference?
To search for a Planning Inspectorate reference number, you need to hit the search tab at the top of the screen and select the field PINS ref. Then type in the last seven digits of the Inspectorate reference.
How do I search for an exact phrase?
To search for an exact phrase, either in the text of the document or in the abstracts, you need to surround the phrase with inverted commas. If you wish to search for a part of a phrase you can also use the wildcard operators. Ths is either for a string of text using the * operator, for example the search "resi*" is any word starting with "resi" such as "residence" or "residential" or ? for a single letter. This could be "shop?" which would return "shops" but not "shopping".
How many cases can I search the full text of the appeal on?
We have been indexing the full text of cases since August 2006, which means that if you search for the word "llama" in the full text field the results will most likely return cases that we have added since August 2006. For all pre August 2006 appeal decisions the word searches will only find results based on the descriptions and casebook writeups. All cases now added to the system are full text indexed and will be fully searchable if using the full text search option, however this will not be expanded to pre August 2006 appeals.
I am looking for case xxx and cannot find it
Although we try to have the most comprehensive database of appeals we only add a selection of written representations to our database. Due to the age of some cases we also have gaps in hearings and inquiries over the years. If you have tried repeatedly and cannot find a case you are looking for you can call 01452 835820 and we will endeavour to find it for you.
How do I enter a DCS number?
The DCS number is our own unique reference that we use to identify individual appeals. The format of a DCS number is a 9 digit number.If you only have an 8 digit number you will need to add a 0 before the first number for example 38512945 will become 038512945.
If you are obtaining the DCS number from an old issue of Planning and it starts with a WR or an OT, remember to omit these letters from the number you enter
When I carry out a search I get the same results as my earlier search
This is an issue caused by your local IT settings and can be easily resolved. All you need to do is press the refresh button on your web browser when you have your results set on screen and the correct set will appear The refresh button could be displayed as two green arrows in a circle, but this will depend on the browser you are using. Alternatively press the F5 key on your keyboard and this will refresh your screen.
