New planning regulations introduced by Andy Burnham's government have come into force, aiming to speed up decisions on household extensions and conversions. The measures are designed to eliminate unnecessary hold-ups for families, shopkeepers and pub landlords, giving them 'greater certainty' and faster outcomes.
Streamlined Applications and New Planners
Straightforward applications will now be handled by specialist planning officers rather than waiting for a planning committee slot. The new National Scheme of Delegation will allow councillors to concentrate on the most significant developments.
Some 420 newly recruited planners will be brought in through government-backed programmes, surpassing the government's 2024 manifesto pledge to recruit 300 additional planners more than two years before the end of this Parliament.
AI Tool PlanAssist
Newly introduced AI technology is designed to relieve planners of time-consuming administrative tasks, while helping homeowners receive quicker decisions on their applications, whether they are seeking permission for a house extension, loft conversion or the addition of a conservatory. Developed in partnership with Google DeepMind, Google Cloud, Faculty and local authorities, PlanAssist consolidates applications, policies and site constraints into a single platform for trained officers to assess.
Early trials reduced the time spent on key planning tasks by 58 per cent, helping to slash processing times for routine householder applications from eight weeks to four. Following a successful pilot across Camden, Barnet and Dorset Councils, the tool will now be rolled out to 15 councils over a 12-month period, with the government aiming to make it accessible to every council in England by the end of 2027.
Impact on Applications
Given that householder planning applications account for nearly 70 per cent of all submissions each year, the changes are set to deliver a faster, more streamlined planning service for residents and businesses alike, while freeing up planners to concentrate on more complex cases.
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: "Families wanting more space and businesses looking to grow shouldn't be left waiting unnecessarily for straightforward planning decisions.
"We're giving councils the people, tools and reforms they need to get applications moving faster, while freeing up planners and councillors to focus on the developments that will deliver the homes and infrastructure communities need.
We've already beaten our manifesto commitment to recruit 300 planners, and we're going further with 1,400 new recruits across the planning system by the end of this Parliament."
AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said: "Whether it's building an extension or converting a loft, families shouldn't face unnecessary delays getting the go-ahead to improve their homes.
This is what putting AI to work for the public looks like in practice. By slashing the time spent on routine planning tasks by more than half, we're helping families get quicker answers while freeing up skilled planners to focus on the major developments that will get Britain building."
Owen Larter, Senior Director, Frontier AI Policy and Global Affairs at Google DeepMind said: "PlanAssist puts AI to work by freeing planning officers to spend more time deciding on applications and less time on administrative paperwork".
"Providing the tool to more councils is the natural next step, and we'll continue supporting the government and local councils as they seek to build more homes and unlock economic growth."
