What Google DeepMind announced
Google DeepMind has announced that PlanAssist, an AI tool for handling routine planning applications, will be extended to an additional 12 local planning authorities across England. The announcement is dated 31 October 2026.
According to Google DeepMind, the tool is meant to take on the repetitive work in routine cases so that officers can spend their expertise elsewhere. It says the tool is built with Gemini and forms part of a wider partnership between the company and the UK government on using AI in planning and other public services.
The company ties the work to the UK government's target of building 1.5 million new homes by 2029, and notes that delays can leave families waiting months for approval of projects such as a loft conversion, conservatory or extension.
How PlanAssist works and what the pilot showed
Google DeepMind states that routine householder applications make up as much as 70% of planning officers' workloads. PlanAssist was developed by the company together with the UK government, Google Cloud and Faculty to support officers with processing these cases and drafting recommendations.
The tool works in stages. It first validates application documents and architectural drawings to confirm that the required information has been submitted. It then checks the application against heritage constraints, such as tree preservation orders, as well as local and national planning policies, and looks at whether issues or objections, for example from local residents, have been raised before. Finally it produces fully cited draft reports that officers can edit before making a decision.
The pilot has run since June in Barnet, Camden and Dorset councils. Google DeepMind reports that, beyond the 58% reduction in average assessment time, more than 70% of the reports the tool generated were approved by officers without edits. Those reports covered matters such as whether an application meets local planning rules or whether all required documents were supplied. These figures are the company's own account of the pilot.
Beta phase and the road to national availability
PlanAssist now enters a 12-month Beta in which it handles live applications, beginning with only some of the participating councils. The additional 12 authorities will join in three cohorts, so 15 councils will be involved overall. Google DeepMind says the group spans metropolitan and rural districts, which should show how the tool performs in different kinds of communities.
If testing goes well, the government plans to make the tool available to all councils in England in 2027. Google DeepMind stresses that a qualified planning officer will review and approve every assessment before any decision is taken, and that officers keep the final say on each application.