AI tool digitises paper records to cut council planning delays

A new AI tool is being developed to support local authorities struggling with outdated planning systems, by transforming historic paper records into machine-readable data in seconds.

The tool, named Extract, aims to dramatically speed up housing development and reduce administrative burden. It is being developed by the government’s Incubator for AI (i.AI) in partnership with the Ministry of Housing’s Digital Planning Programme.

The system converts scanned PDFs, blurry maps, and handwritten notes into structured, digital data in under a minute. Where it might take planning officers up to two hours to process a single document manually, the AI completes the task in just 40 seconds.

The project aligns with the government’s broader Plan for Change, which includes the ambitious goal of building 1.5 million new homes during the current Parliament. Faster, data-driven planning decisions are seen as essential to hitting that target and unlocking wider economic growth.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle highlighted the urgency: “The UK’s planning system has been held back for too long by outdated processes. Extract will give councils access to higher-quality data, enabling faster decision-making and accelerating our ability to build.”

Currently in early testing, the AI tool could be made available to local planning authorities later this year. Officials hope it will help clear planning backlogs and free up skilled planners to focus on strategic development rather than administrative processing.

The AI’s utility may also extend beyond planning. Because location-specific data underpins many public services and policy decisions, Extract’s core capability - rapidly digitising complex historical records - has broader relevance across central and local government.

This initiative follows the government’s announcement of potential £45 billion in public sector productivity savings if digital tools are more widely adopted. Planning reform has been a key part of that drive, with recent updates to the National Planning Policy Framework and the proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill also aimed at boosting construction and modernising the system.