Google DeepMind's PlanAssist to expand to 12 more UK councils
Google DeepMind is expanding its AI planning tool, PlanAssist, to 12 additional local authorities in England. The tool, built with Gemini, is designed to streamline routine householder applications, which account for up to 70% of planning officers' workloads. In early pilots across Barnet, Camden, and Dorset, PlanAssist reduced the average time officers spent on assessment tasks by 58%. More…
Key points
- PlanAssist cut average officer assessment time by 58% in early pilots.
- Over 70% of AI-drafted reports were approved by officers without edits.
- The tool will expand to 12 more councils, reaching 15 total in the beta phase.
The tool validates documents, checks against heritage constraints and planning policies, and drafts cited reports for officer review. Planning officers retain the final decision on every application. This expansion is part of a broader partnership between Google DeepMind, Google Cloud, Faculty, and the UK government to address planning bottlenecks that delay the construction of 1.5 million new homes by 2029.
PlanAssist is now entering a 12-month Beta phase using live applications. Twelve more councils will be onboarded in three cohorts, bringing the total to 15. If testing is successful, the government plans to make the tool available to all councils in England in 2027.
Speeding up planning decisions with AI
Google DeepMind · 30 October 2026
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