The government has created a programme that aims to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to digitise planning documents.
The generative AI tool will turn handwritten paper documents and scanned PDFs into high-quality, digital data, helping local governments to make more efficient and informed decisions on housing plans.
The tool, called Extract, will make the data machine-readable and shareable in 40 seconds, compared with the couple of hours it normally takes, while also reducing errors.
Science and technology secretary Peter Kyle said the country’s planning system is held back by “outdated paper documents [and] slow processes, making it nearly impossible for councils to make informed decisions quickly”.
“As part of our Plan for Change, we’re using the power of AI to transform sluggish systems so we can start to rebuild,” he said. “With Extract, councils will have access to better quality data so they can move more quickly on planning decisions and get on with driving growth. Technology like this could be a vital step towards councils meeting targets to help build the 1.5 million new homes the country needs, all while updating and improving the planning system for the future.”
The AI tool is currently in testing, and could potentially be available to councils later in 2025. The government hopes it will support its Plan for Change, which includes building 1.5 million homes across the country over the course of the next Parliament.
The government is also updating the National Planning Policy Framework, hoping to boost the economy by £6.8bn and drive housebuilding forward.
Housing and planning minister Matthew Pennycook said that to meet the government’s goal of building 1.5 million houses during this Parliament, “we need local planning authorities to be making informed decisions faster”.
“By harnessing new technology like Extract, we can tackle backlogs, inefficiencies and waste, and ensure councils are focusing precious time and resources on efficiently determining applications to build new homes,” he said.
In January 2025, the government launched its 50-point AI opportunities action plan, aiming to revolutionise public services through AI.
The policy paper introduces measures to create what the government calls “dedicated AI growth zones”, which it said speeds up planning permission for AI-led initiatives.
The International Monetary Fund estimates that if AI is fully embraced, it can boost productivity by as much as 1.5 percentage points a year. If fully realised, these gains could be worth up to an average £47bn to the UK each year over a decade.
The government has also revamped the funding process for technology projects, including AI, offering a route to simplify how government funds small AI projects.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology hopes a more agile funding process will speed up the building and testing of initial prototypes. If early trials of a project show the potential to save money and improve public services for citizens, the government plans to increase support through larger tests.