The government has announced the introduction of a new AI tool aimed at speeding up the planning process and assisting planning officers.
The tool, named Extract, will allow councils to convert old, handwritten planning documents and maps into data within minutes.
Following trials in Hillingdon, Exeter and Nuneaton and Bedworth councils, the new tool took an average of three minutes to digitise planning records, whereas the manual process took on average between one and two hours.
According to the government, it means that Extract would be able to process around 100 planning records a day to significantly speed up the process.
The government said that the tool would influence “new types of planning software to slash the 250,000 estimated hours spent by planning officers each year manually checking these documents”.
Ministers say that the planning system in England is still heavily reliant on handwritten documents, which in some cases can be hundreds of pages long, making a highly time-consuming process, particularly as around 350,000 planning applications are submitted each year.
The government expects Extract to be rolled out to all English local authorities by next spring and is working with Google to further develop and expand the AI tool.
Speaking at London Tech Week, Sir Keir Starmer said: “For too long, our outdated planning system has held back our country— slowing down the development of vital infrastructure and making it harder to get the homes we need built.”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.”
