Millions of homeowners waiting for permission to extend their homes, convert lofts or make other improvements could see faster decisions, with 2 new AI tools unveiled to modernise England’s planning system.
The first is a new AI prototype that aims to halve the time it takes to process householder planning applications – down from 8, to 4 weeks in an average case.
It is in early-stage testing with Barnet, Camden and Dorset councils. The prototype triages applications, summarises key information and provides planning officers with an initial assessment they can consider when making their decision. It has been created by government together with Google DeepMind, Google Cloud, Faculty and local planning authorities.
The second is that another tool, Extract, is now available to all councils in England as promised by the Prime Minister last year. It uses AI to help planning officers convert decades-old planning documents and maps, sometimes with handwritten notes, into readily useable data in minutes.
Householder applications account for nearly 70% of planning applications each year. By reducing the time spent on straightforward cases, the prototype being tested in Barnet, Camden and Dorset could help planning officers focus more on complex applications, including new housing and major developments communities rely on.
If successful, the technology will be rolled out nationwide by 2027 – with every assessment reviewed and approved by a qualified planning officer before any decision is made.
The announcement marks another step in the government’s commitment to build 1.5 million homes and use technology to improve public services.
Minister for Data and Modern Digital Government Ian Murray said: “When someone wants to add a bedroom or convert their loft, they shouldn’t be waiting months for a straightforward decision. And planning officers shouldn’t be spending hours digging through decades of paper records when making the decisions that really matter.
“These tools give planning officers better support to make quicker decisions - and give families the answers they deserve, faster.
“This isn’t about replacing the expertise and judgement of planning professionals; it’s about taking admin off their desks so they can focus on the skilled work their communities need most.”
Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook said: “Our planning system remains heavily reliant on cumbersome paper-based processes that consume the time of expert planning officers and cause delays on even the most routine types of application.
“We are dragging the system into the twenty-first century by harnessing the power of AI to streamline the planning application process, freeing up planners to make quicker and better decisions and reducing unnecessary delays.”
Extract is now available to all local planning authorities in England. It will slash the estimated 250,000 hours a year spent by planning officers manually checking these documents. Digitising and publishing these documents, as data, helps officers and the public access high-quality planning data more easily, and create the right foundation for the next generation of tools that could dramatically reduce delays that plague the system.
Around 350,000 planning applications are submitted a year in England, yet the system remains heavily reliant on checking old documents. For every application, planning officers must check the local planning rules that apply, many of which are hidden away in hundreds of pages of documents, before reaching a decision.
This represents a step-change in productivity, freeing up thousands of hours for planning officers to focus on decision-making to speed up housebuilding. It will also accelerate the delivery of much-needed housing, improve reliability in the planning process, reduce costs and save time for councils and developers.
It comes as the government laid regulations in Parliament earlier this month to overhaul planning committees - speeding up decisions on small planning applications, such as larger home extensions and loft conversions, through a new National Scheme of Delegation.
Extract was developed by the government’s expert applied AI team, the Incubator for AI (i.AI), working with MHCLG’s Digital Planning programme. You can read more about i.AI’s work on https://ai.gov.uk/.
