The UK government is embarking on a transformative journey to speed up housing and infrastructure planning applications with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). This breakthrough technology, called Extract, promises to revolutionize how planning documents are processed, helping councils make faster, more informed decisions.
As UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer revealed during his speech at London Tech Week, Extract, developed by the government’s AI Incubator team (i.AI), uses Google’s Gemini model to convert complex, paper-based planning documents into digital data quickly and efficiently.
The Challenge of Traditional Planning Systems
Traditional planning processes are often bogged down by paper-based documents and lengthy manual checks. In the UK, around 350,000 planning applications are submitted each year, each requiring careful comparison with local planning restrictions.
This is a time-consuming and inefficient system, with planners often spending hours to process a single document. To make matters worse, these documents include blurry maps, handwritten notes, and other hard-to-read materials that make the process even more complicated.
Extract addresses these issues by using AI to quickly convert mountains of planning documents into structured, digital data. This leap forward drastically reduces the time it takes for councils to process planning applications and cuts down the workload for planning professionals.
What once took hours can now be done in just seconds. For instance, converting a single planning document that traditionally takes two hours to complete will now take only 40 seconds, making the process far more efficient.
How Extract Works
The technology behind Extract is powered by Google’s Gemini model, integrated with Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform. This allows the system to understand complex text, reason about images, and even use tools to solve difficult analytical challenges.
- Polygon Extraction: Gemini’s advanced visual reasoning capabilities help the system understand complex maps. It can recognize critical features such as boundaries, street numbers, or shaded areas, which define where planning restrictions apply. The system then uses tools like OpenCV, Ordnance Survey, and Segment Anything to extract the relevant shapes and boundaries from the images.
- Georeferencing: Extract also identifies geographic features, such as street addresses or landmarks on historical maps. The AI matches these features to modern maps using advanced mapping models like LoFTR. This enables Extract to transform old, blurry maps into accurate, geolocated modern versions, helping councils make decisions based on accurate, up-to-date information.
These AI capabilities enable councils to make informed decisions faster, reducing the time it takes to approve applications for housing and infrastructure projects, such as home improvements or new developments.
The Impact on Councils and the Public
Councils testing Extract, including Hillingdon Council, Westminster City Council, Nuneaton and Bedworth Council, and Exeter City Council, are already seeing the benefits. With the help of Extract, planning departments can streamline their processes, reduce administrative workload, and improve efficiency. This is a win for the public as well, who will experience faster processing times for their planning applications.
The new system will be rolled out across all councils in the UK by Spring 2026, and it is expected to have a profound impact on how quickly infrastructure and housing projects can be completed.
This could also help the UK government in its mission to build 1.5 million new homes and revamp its planning system to be more suited for the 21st century.
AI: The Future of Planning Systems in the UK
This innovative AI system is a step forward in solving the issues that have long plagued the UK’s planning system. As the government highlights, outdated planning systems have slowed down the development of essential infrastructure and made it harder to build the homes needed to support growing communities.
Extract is designed to cut through red tape, accelerate decision-making, and ultimately deliver more homes for hard-working people across the UK.
Through this use of AI, the government is helping councils to adopt modern digital planning systems that make use of cutting-edge technology to improve public services. With AI’s role in transforming planning applications, the UK is setting the stage for faster development, better decision-making, and a brighter future for its communities.
