<p>Google DeepMind says PlanAssist, a planning tool it built with the UK government, Google Cloud and Faculty, cut the average time planning officers spent on householder assessment tasks by 58% during a pilot across Barnet, Camden and Dorset that began in June. The company says more than 70% of the reports the tool generated were approved by officers with no edits required.</p><p>The tool runs four steps: it validates submitted documents and architectural drawings, checks the application against heritage constraints such as tree preservation orders and against local and national planning policy, checks whether objections or issues were previously raised, and drafts a fully cited report that officers can edit.</p><p>DeepMind says routine householder applications can account for up to 70% of planning officers workloads. The tool is moving into a 12-month beta using live applications; 12 more councils will be onboarded in three cohorts, bringing the total to 15. Subject to testing, the UK government plans to make it available to all councils in England in 2027, with each assessment reviewed and approved by a qualified planning officer.</p>
Our takeThe measurable saving sits in document validation and cited drafting, not in the judgment: the officer still decides, so the 58% covers the clerical share of the task. Reports accepted without edits are a useful proxy for grounded citations, but three councils and no control group leave the error rate on policy checks unmeasured. Worth watching whether the citation trail survives the move to live applications, since that is what makes review cheap.