AI tool PlanAssist promises significant speed-up in local planning approvals

Google DeepMind has advanced its AI planning assistant, PlanAssist, which is set to be deployed across an additional 12 local planning authorities in England. The tool, developed in partnership with the UK government, Google Cloud, and Faculty, aims to streamline the review of routine householder applications, which constitute up to 70% of planning officers' workload. Early trials conducted in Barnet, Camden, and Dorset demonstrated that PlanAssist could reduce the average time planning officers spent on these assessments by 58%. The system supports human decision-making by automating checks against local and national policies, heritage constraints, and submitted documentation, ultimately drafting fully cited reports for officer review. PlanAssist is now entering a 12-month Beta phase with a subset of councils, with twelve more authorities being onboarded in three cohorts to reach a total of 15 participating councils. The government intends for the tool to be available to all English councils in 2027, contingent upon successful testing, ensuring every final decision remains under the purview of a qualified officer.