Starmer announces AI tool to speed up planning system

The government has announced the launch of a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool, designed in collaboration with Google, in order to speed up the planning system.

An AI assistant for planning officers and local councils – which can scan hundreds of files in seconds– called Extract, was announced by the Prime Minister at London Tech Week. 

Keir Starmer said: “For too long, our outdated planning system has held back our country— slowing down the development of vital infrastructure and making it harder to get the homes we need built.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.

He added: “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.”

The government said AI will power new types of planning software to slash the 250,000 estimated hours spent by planning officers each year manually checking documents.

Around 350,000 planning applications are submitted a year in England.

The nationwide launch of Extract is expected by Spring next year. It follows test trials across Hillingdon, Nuneaton & Bedworth, and Exeter councils.

During the trials, Extract digitised planning records, including maps, in just three minutes – compared to the one to two hours it would take a person to do it manually.

The government hopes Extract can process 100 planning records a day, freeing up thousands of hours for planning officers to focus on decision-making to speed up housebuilding.

Angela Rayner, deputy prime minister and housing secretary, said: “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.”

The government is working with Google to expand Extract to all local authorities in England using its Gemini model. The government hopes to digitise all planning documents by the end of 2026.

Demis Hassabis, co-founder and chief executive of Google DeepMind,  said: “We build our AI models to understand all types of information - from text to handwritten notes and technical drawings - so it’s really exciting to see the UK government choose Gemini to help speed up the planning process and support planners and people across the country.”

Planning data processed through Extract will be uploaded to a centralised, publicly accessible gov.uk page. At the moment planning portals are held by individual local authorities.

Tony Mulhall, senior specialist - land & resources at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, said: “Today’s announcement is an exciting step forward for the digital transformation of the planning system, which is essential to significantly speed up the planning process and the delivery of new homes and infrastructure.

”The trials have clearly been a success but rolling this technology out across local authorities will require time and investment, a significant short-term challenge given the pressures local authority planning teams are already facing. As well as implementation in England, the government should also facilitate access of this technology in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.”