Faster planning decisions as new rules and AI tackle delays
New UK planning rules delegate straightforward applications to expert officers and introduce AI tool PlanAssist to cut delays, aiming to halve processing times for routine householder applications from eight to four weeks.
From Saturday 31 October, straightforward planning applications for homeowners and small businesses will be decided by expert planning officers instead of waiting for committee slots, reducing delays for families, shopkeepers and pub landlords. The new National Scheme of Delegation shifts routine decisions to trained officers, providing greater certainty for applicants while allowing councillors to focus on significant developments. The change follows a government-backed recruitment drive that exceeded its 2024 manifesto pledge by adding 420 new planners, surpassing the target of 300 more than two years ahead of schedule.
A new AI tool, PlanAssist, developed with Google DeepMind, Google Cloud, Faculty and local authorities, is designed to streamline administrative tasks for planners. Early testing in Camden, Barnet and Dorset Councils reduced time spent on key tasks by 58%, helping halve processing times for routine householder applications from eight weeks to four. The tool consolidates applications, policies and site constraints into a single interface, enabling officers to review information more efficiently and make faster decisions on extensions or loft conversions.
PlanAssist will now expand to 15 councils for 12 months, with the government intending to make it available nationwide by the end of 2027. The 12 additional councils joining the trial include Ashford Borough Council, Newcastle City Council and Bristol City Council. The tool will not be mandated software, but the government is mandating the digitisation and publication of key planning documents as open data by 2027 to improve data quality for all property technology tools.
The reforms are part of broader planning system changes aimed at speeding up decisions, strengthening local services and supporting homebuilding targets. Planning officers retain full responsibility for reviewing applications and making final decisions, while PlanAssist provides an evidence-backed initial assessment to accelerate routine cases. The government states these measures will free up planners to focus on complex developments while delivering faster, more efficient services for residents and businesses.