London, UK – 9th June, 2025 – The UK Government, in collaboration with Google, has launched Extract, an AI-powered assistant designed to modernize England’s planning system and accelerate the delivery of 1.5 million new homes under the Plan for Change. By digitizing decades-old handwritten planning documents and maps in minutes, Extract addresses the inefficiencies of the current paper-based system, which processes approximately 350,000 planning applications annually, each taking 1–2 hours to review manually.

In trials conducted with Hillingdon, Nuneaton & Bedworth, and Exeter councils, Extract digitized records in just three minutes each, enabling the processing of up to 100 records per day. This efficiency is expected to save an estimated 250,000 hours annually spent on manual checks, reducing delays, cutting costs, and improving reliability for councils and developers. The tool, powered by Google DeepMind’s Gemini model, will be rolled out to all councils by Spring 2026, with a goal to fully digitize all planning documents by the end of 2026. The resulting data will be made publicly accessible via a gov.uk service page, enhancing transparency and usability.

The government is also exploring an app to enable instant document scanning, complementing the £59.4 million councils currently spend annually on digital planning software. These efforts are projected to save the public sector £527 million yearly. Since July, Ministers have made 18 planning decisions, over 85% within target timeframes, approving projects like the expansion of London City Airport, a Buckinghamshire data centre, and a new M&S store on Oxford Street, London. The forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill will further expedite critical infrastructure projects, including wind farms and major transport initiatives.

In an official statement, Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated, “For too long, our outdated planning system has held back our country— slowing down the development of vital infrastructure and making it harder to get the homes we need built. This government is working hand in hand with business to change that. With Extract, we’re harnessing the power of AI to help planning officers cut red tape, speed up decisions, and unlock the new homes for hard-working people as part of our Plan for Change. It’s a bold step forward in our mission to build 1.5 million more homes and deliver a planning system that’s fit for the 21st century.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner added, “From day one we made an unwavering promise to use every tool at our disposal to build the 1.5 million homes and vital infrastructure through our Plan for Change that our local communities desperately need. By using cutting-edge technology like Extract we can fix the broken planning system, cut delays, save money, and also reduce burdens on councils to help pave the way for the biggest building boom in a generation.”

Demis Hassabis, Co-Founder & CEO of Google DeepMind, said, “We build our AI models to understand all types of information - from text to handwritten notes and technical drawings - so it’s really exciting to see the UK government choose Gemini to help speed up the planning process and support planners and people across the country.”

Matthew Wallbridge, Chief Operating Officer, Hillingdon Council, commented, “The UK Planning System relies on paper-based processes, and AI can help to read and then extract the key information from it, to help both residents and planning officers. The productivity benefits will allow for a faster and cheaper service.”

Tom Shardlow, CEO, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, said, “Just like many local authorities, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has many plans and documents in storage from historic planning applications over the years. Working with the Extract team, we have seen the outputs from Extract, and how these could improve our service, providing high quality, digital, GeoSpatial data and how this could speed up the process for our Planning Team.”

This initiative highlights the government’s commitment to utilising technology to drive economic growth and meet ambitious housing targets, positioning the UK for a transformative era of infrastructure development.