AI tools shorten planning decision-making time as government accelerates construction of 1.5 million homes

Two new AI tools announced today (Wednesday 17 June) to modernize the UK’s planning system could help millions of homeowners waiting for permission to extend their home, convert a loft or make other improvements make faster decisions.

The first is a new AI prototype that aims to halve the time it takes to process householders’ planning applications from an average of eight weeks to four.

It is being tested in the early stages with Barnet City, Camden City Council and Dorset City Council. Prototypes prioritize applications, summarize important information, and provide an initial assessment that planners can consider when making decisions. It was created by the government in collaboration with Google DeepMind, Google Cloud, departments and local planning authorities.

Second, as promised by the Prime Minister last year, another tool, Extract, is now available to all UK parliaments. Use AI to help planners transform decades-old planning documents and maps (and sometimes even handwritten notes) into actionable data in minutes.

Head of household applications account for almost 70% of planning applications each year. By reducing the time spent on simple cases, the prototypes being tested in Barnet, Camden and Dorset could allow planning officers to focus more on complex uses, including new homes and large-scale developments on which communities depend.

If successful, the technology would be rolled out across the country by 2027, with all assessments reviewed and approved by qualified planners before decisions are made.

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

Ian Murray, Minister for Data and Modern Digital Government, said:

When someone wants to add a bedroom or renovate a loft, they shouldn’t wait months to make a simple decision. And planners shouldn’t spend hours poring over decades of paper records when making really important decisions.

These tools give planners better support, help them make decisions faster, and provide families with the right answers faster.

It is not intended to replace the expertise or judgment of a planning professional. It’s about empowering administrators to step away from their desks and focus on the skilled work our communities need most.

Minister for Housing and Planning Matthew Pennycook said:

Our planning systems still rely heavily on cumbersome paper-based processes that waste professional planners’ time and cause delays for even the most routine types of applications.

We are bringing the system into the 21st century by harnessing the power of AI to streamline planning application processes, empower planners to make faster and better decisions, and reduce unnecessary delays.

Nysha Polaine, Executive Director of Growth at Barnet Council, said:

The tool’s ability to gather relevant information, carry out interim assessments and create the basis for reports can save significant amounts of staff time managing planning applications and lead to faster decision-making processes for residents.

This, in turn, will make a significant contribution to achieving the district’s housing construction growth goals.

From today, Extract is available to all local planning authorities in England. This will reduce the estimated 250,000 hours a year that planning officers spend manually checking these documents. Digitizing and publishing these documents as data will make it easier for police officers and the public to access high-quality planning data, creating the right foundation for next-generation tools that can significantly reduce the delays that plague the system.

Approximately 350,000 planning applications are submitted each year in the UK, but the system remains heavily reliant on checking outdated documents. For all applications, planners must check the applicable local planning regulations before reaching a decision, many of which are hidden within hundreds of pages of documents.

This represents a step change in productivity, freeing up thousands of hours for planners to focus on decision-making to accelerate home construction. It will also accelerate the delivery of much-needed homes, improve confidence in the planning process, reduce costs and save time for councils and developers.

This comes after the government overhauled planning committees in parliament earlier this month and introduced regulations to speed up decisions on smaller planning applications such as large house extensions and loft conversions through a new national delegation system.

Mark Wanner, CEO and CTO of Accenture’s Faculty Division, said:

For decades, Britain’s rigid planning system has discouraged families from making simple home improvements, such as new windows or converting the attic.

Cut approval times for simple renovations in half by using AI to provide clear recommendations to planners, with final human approval.

This gives councils more time and resources to focus on large-scale infrastructure projects that improve communities and drive economic growth.

Lila Ibrahim, Chief AI Readiness Officer at Google DeepMind said:

Britain has the opportunity to build the homes communities need, but local councils face a mountain of red tape.

That’s why we work directly with Congress to create sophisticated planning tools to solve real-world bottlenecks. This will significantly reduce decision-making time and allow planners to focus on the future of building Britain faster.

Following trials across 20 local planning authorities in England, including Exeter and Hillingdon, Extract is expected to save councils an average of around 255 hours of manual work digesting documents into digital format. This is down from more than 500 cases and will give staff back more valuable time to focus on complex work that delivers value to the communities they serve.

Last year, the Chancellor announced that Extract would be available to all local planning authorities in England by spring 2026. Today, the government is delivering on that promise.

Extract was developed by the government’s expert applied AI team, Incubator for AI (i.AI), in collaboration with MHCLG’s Digital Planning Programme. For more information about i.AI’s work, please visit https://ai.gov.uk/.

Note to editor

APD is being developed under a MHCLG agreement with Google Cloud, Google DeepMind and UK AI company Faculty as delivery partners. Alpha trials began in May 2026.

MHCLG is funding Augmented Planning Decisions (APD) through an £8.2 million deal with Google Cloud, Google DeepMind and delivery partner Faculty.

If successful, the government plans to expand the exam to up to 10 further councils in late 2026, with a nationwide rollout from 2027.

For more information about Extract, see Extract – Review and provide planning data with video demonstration. Can be used by local governments. Specialist tools to support planners and council staff. It does not replace them.

As part of the rollout of Extract, the goal is for three national planning datasets (Article 4 Directions, Protected Areas and Tree Protection Orders) to be published on the Planning Data Platform.

AI support for head of household applications can help planners make recommendations. The ultimate decision makers will continue to be people.

Approximately 350,000 planning applications are submitted in the UK each year. Head of household applications make up a large portion of a local planning authority’s workload.

Maureen Costello, Vice President, UK, Ireland and Sub-Saharan Africa, Google Cloud.

True digital transformation happens when advanced innovation is built on a resilient and secure foundation. Google Cloud is proud to partner with the UK Government to bring AI from the lab to production-ready public services, delivering rapid results to councils across the country.

Graham Stallwood, interim chief executive of the Planning Inspectorate, said:

The Planning Inspectorate is closely monitoring initiatives led by MHCLG and local authorities to enable greater use of new AI-enabled tools such as Extract and Augmented Planning Decisions Prototype.

AI guidance provided by the Planning Inspectorate maintains public and professional accountability for the information generated and supports human control and oversight. As this technology improves and we learn more about its impact on casework, we will continue to review our guidance to maintain this ‘golden rule’ for the use of AI.

Mike Keighley, chairman of the Planning Officers Association, said:

The Planning Offices Society welcomes this important announcement in our digital planning journey. Extract is an innovative tool that unlocks data trapped in PDFs and makes them available in a digital format that can be used by AI and other systems. I look forward to future announcements that will bear fruit from MHCLG’s investment.

Sarah McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Association of Directors of Environment, Economics, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), said:

ADEPT welcomes digital advances that support efficiency, transparency and effective decision-making. By adopting innovative technology, local governments can streamline processes and deliver improved outcomes for communities and businesses. Digital innovation enables more collaborative, accessible and forward-looking planning, helping towns and communities adapt to changing needs, while supporting economic growth, environmental responsibility and quality place-making.

Dr Wei Yang OBE, CEO of the Planning Digital Taskforce, said:

High-quality, standardized planning data is essential for modern planning systems. Extract helps local planning authorities accelerate the transition from document-based processes to data-enabled planning by making it easier to convert existing planning information into usable digital data. This represents a significant step forward in improving efficiency, transparency and evidence-based decision-making across the planning system.