# Google DeepMind's PlanAssist to expand to 12 more UK councils

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-10-30T14:18:30Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/google-deepmind-s-planassist-to-expand-to-12-more-uk-councils

## Summary

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 than 70% of the reports generated by the tool were approved by officers without any edits.

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.

## 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.

## Why it matters

This addresses a critical bottleneck in UK housing delivery. By automating routine checks, it allows officers to focus on complex cases, potentially accelerating the approval of 1.5 million new homes by 2029.

## Sources

1. [Speeding up planning decisions with AI](https://deepmind.google/blog/speeding-up-planning-decisions-with-ai) (Google DeepMind, 2026-10-30, primary source)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Google DeepMind's PlanAssist to expand to 12 more UK councils", 30 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/google-deepmind-s-planassist-to-expand-to-12-more-uk-councils

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