AI tools will “Slash planning decision times”- Government unveils plans to halve planning delays…

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.

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.

Around 350,000 planning applications are submitted in England every year. Householder applications make up the majority of local planning authority workloads.

The announcement marks another step in the government’s commitment to build 1.5 million homes and use technology to improve public services.

Industry and Government Respond

When someone wants to add a bedroom or convert their loft, they shouldn’t be waiting months for a straightforward decision.

These tools give planning officers better support to make quicker decisions - and give families the answers they deserve, faster.

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.

From today, 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

Extract is a game changing tool, as it unlocks the data trapped in PDFs and makes it available in digital form to be used by AI and other systems. We look forward to future announcements from MHCLG as their investment bears fruit.

By embracing innovative technologies, local authorities can streamline processes and deliver improved outcomes for communities and businesses.

This represents an important step forward in improving efficiency, transparency and evidence-based decision-making across the planning system.

While some of the UK’s planning departments are ahead of the digital curve, not everyone is applying the most up-to-date technology. ‘Extract’ will therefore be a refreshing update to a local planning authority’s toolbox, which can sometimes feel out of date and unfit for purpose in today’s digital landscape.

This is an exciting opportunity for local planning authorities to benefit from the efficiencies AI can bring to digitise applications, while maintaining the critical human oversight of architects and planners within teams to ensure high-design quality.

AI tools will “Slash planning decision times”- Government unveils plans to halve planning delays…

Industry and Government Respond

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