Illustration: Google DeepMind.
LONDON – Google DeepMind said Saturday that an AI tool designed to help English councils assess routine home-improvement applications will expand to 12 more local authorities, taking the project into a 12-month beta using live applications.
The tool, called PlanAssist and built with Google’s Gemini models, has been tested since June by Barnet, Camden and Dorset councils. Google said early testing reduced the average time officers spent on householder assessment tasks by 58%. That is a pilot result, not a guaranteed reduction for every application.
The expansion will bring the total number of councils involved to 15, with new authorities joining in three groups. Planning officers will retain responsibility for reviewing applications and making every final decision.
Developed with the UK government, Google Cloud and British AI company Faculty, PlanAssist checks application documents and architectural drawings, compares proposals with planning policies and site constraints, identifies objections and drafts reports that officers can edit.
Google said more than 70% of reports generated in the initial pilot were approved by officers without edits. The company said routine householder work, including loft conversions and extensions, accounts for up to 70% of planning officers’ workloads.
Subject to successful testing, the government plans to make the tool available to all councils in England in 2027. It is not yet a nationwide service, and the government says councils will not be required to use it.
JBizNews Technology Desk | London
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