Regional publisher Archant has announced the acquisition of a website listing all UK planning applications.

The publisher has purchased the remaining equity in PlanningFinder.com after previously holding a majority stake in the site.

PlanningFinder.com launched in 2010 and brings together domestic and commercial planning applications from all council authorities UK-wide, providing users with information about applications in their area with a weekly email summary.

The website joins the growing portfolio of products within Archant Digital Ventures, the company’s digital incubator and investment arm, including social network Streetlife which has just received further investment from the publisher.

Serge Taborin, managing director of Archant Digital Ventures, said: “We are delighted to have completed the acquisition of PlanningFinder.com and see it as a valuable asset in our strategy aimed at extending the relationship with our local communities, be they private, public or commercial.

“Complementing other local digital assets in our portfolio, including our own local news sites, community-driven website Streetlife.com and several other locally-focused services, PlanningFinder.com is an important addition to this digital ecosystem, keeping our communities appraised of the proposed changes in their locality.”

The platform has recently been further enhanced by Archant to increase the level of coverage across the UK and develop services for commercial partners, advertisers and local councils.

Chris Thompson, head of development at Archant Digital Ventures, said: “PlanningFinder in its revamped form has proved a huge success with its users, both private and commercial.

“It is also acting as an extension of local council websites in some areas, and we are now finding ourselves collaborating closely with a number of local councils actively using and sharing the service.”

Archant Digital Ventures was created to expand Archant’s offering beyond local journalism and typically sees it partner with or acquire innovative technology start-ups to allow them to rapidly roll-out their services.