In brief
The applicant submits or is named on the application; the reported owner is the party who owns the property. They may be different people or businesses. Keep the roles separate, and attribute a channel only to the party its source supports.
Treat the fields as separate observations
A source might identify a business as applicant and a person as reported owner. Another source may identify an agent or planner. Preserve those roles and their evidence.
A channel belongs to an attributed party
An email in a planning practice’s letterhead is a firm channel. It does not become the owner’s email because the practice prepared the application. An unattributed email can remain visible as a candidate without being attached to the closest name.
Ask a question appropriate to the recorded role
For an applicant, ask about the proposal and who is coordinating the relevant scope. For a planner, ask about the project team and current stage. A planning record does not itself establish an owner’s intention to sell, borrow or engage a new provider.