From the source
Google DeepMind is expanding PlanAssist, its AI planning tool built with Gemini, to 12 more local planning authorities in England after pilots showed it cut officer assessment time by up to 58%.
- Routine householder applications make up as much as 70% of planning officers' workloads, and the tool handles the checks so officers can focus on harder cases.
- In pilots across Barnet, Camden and Dorset since June, more than 70% of the reports PlanAssist generated were approved by officers with no edits required.
- The tool validates documents and drawings, checks applications against heritage constraints and local and national policy, and drafts cited reports that officers can edit before deciding.
- The 12 new councils will be onboarded in three cohorts over a 12-month Beta phase using live applications, bringing the total to 15.
- Subject to successful testing, the government plans to make PlanAssist available to all councils in England in 2027, with every assessment reviewed and approved by a qualified planning officer.
