A new AI tool which can scan hundreds of files in seconds is being rolled out to speed up planning permissions. It is hoped this will make it easier to make home improvements, while also helping the plan for change to build 1.5 million homes.
The prime minister announced "Extract", an AI assistant for planning officers and local councils, developed by government with support from Google, at London Tech Week.
The technology will help councils convert decades-old, handwritten planning documents and maps into data in minutes. It will also power new types of planning software to slash the 250,000 estimated hours spent by planning officers each year manually checking these documents. It is hoped this will help to cut the delays currently faced by the system.
There are around 350,000 planning applications submitted every year in England, but the system still relies on paper documents, some of which are hundreds of pages long. Once submitted, each of these documents needs to be manually validated and approved by a planning officer.
In trials across Hillingdon, Nuneaton & Bedworth, and Exeter councils, Extract digitised planning records, including maps, in just three minutes each. This is compared to the 1-2 hours it takes manually.
This would mean that Extract could process around 100 planning records a day and planning officers would be freed up to to focus on decision-making to speed up housebuilding.
It is expected that Extract will be available to all councils by Spring 2026.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "For too long, our outdated planning system has held back our country — slowing down the development of vital infrastructure and making it harder to get the homes we need built.
"This government is working hand in hand with business to change that. With Extract, we’re harnessing the power of AI to help planning officers cut red tape, speed up decisions, and unlock the new homes for hard-working people as part of our Plan for Change.
"It’s a bold step forward in our mission to build 1.5 million more homes and deliver a planning system that’s fit for the 21st century.”
Deputy prime minister and housing secretary Angela Rayner said: "From day one we made an unwavering promise to use every tool at our disposal to build the 1.5 million homes and vital infrastructure through our Plan for Change that our local communities desperately need.
"By using cutting-edge technology like Extract we can fix the broken planning system, cut delays, save money, and also reduce burdens on councils to help pave the way for the biggest building boom in a generation.”
