AI could soon increase the availability of planning data, allowing councils to make more informed decisions faster, supporting the government’s Plan for Change mission to drive growth and build 1.5 million homes.
Currently, many councils rely on paper documents and scanned PDFs, which slow down the planning process, leading to backlogs and inefficiencies.
To address this, the government’s Incubator for AI (i.AI), part of DSIT, is collaborating with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Digital Planning Programme to develop AI that provides higher quality data. This will help councils make faster, smarter planning decisions.
Peter Kyle, Technology Secretary, said:
“The UK’s planning system has been held back for too long by outdated paper documents, slow processes, making it nearly impossible for councils to make informed decisions quickly.
“As part of our Plan for Change, we’re using the power of AI to transform sluggish systems so we can start to rebuild. With Extract, councils will have access to better quality data so they can move more quickly on planning decisions and get on with driving growth.
“Technology like this could be a vital step towards councils meeting targets to help build the 1.5 million new homes the country needs, all while updating and improving the planning system for the future.”
The new generative AI tool will convert old planning documents—including blurry maps and handwritten notes—into clear, digital data in just 40 seconds, drastically reducing the 1-2 hours it typically takes planners. By extracting key information from thousands of files, the tool will help cut delays, reduce errors, and speed up planning decisions, freeing up planners’ time to focus on building the homes Britain needs.
Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook added:
“To kickstart economic growth and achieve the government’s ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament, we need local planning authorities to be making informed decisions faster.
“By harnessing new technology like Extract, we can tackle backlogs, inefficiencies and waste and ensure councils are focusing precious time and resources on efficiently determining applications to build new homes.”
Currently being tested, the tool could be available to councils later this year, helping them adopt smarter, more efficient planning tools. The tool also has potential applications across the public sector, as location-specific data is used to deliver services and inform government policy and decisions across departments.
This initiative follows the Technology Secretary’s revelation of a £45 billion productivity savings potential if the public sector effectively utilises technology to improve services and processes. It builds on a range of planning reforms the government has already implemented to boost housebuilding, including updating the National Planning Policy Framework, which the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates will boost the economy by £6.8 billion and drive housebuilding to its highest level in over 40 years.
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