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‘Extract’ is described as an AI assistant for planning officers and local councils to digitise records.

Developed by Google with support from the government, Extract is expected to help councils convert old, hand-drawn, planning documents and maps into digital data in minutes. It will power new types of planning software to slash the 250,000 estimated hours spent by planning officers each year manually checking documents.

Around 350,000 planning applications are submitted a year in England, yet the system remains heavily reliant on paper documents – some hundreds of pages long. Once submitted, each of these documents needs to be manually validated and approved by a planning officer. 

In test trials across Hillingdon, Nuneaton & Bedworth, and Exeter councils, Extract digitised planning records, including maps, in just three minutes each – compared to the one or two hours it typically takes manually. This means Extract could process around 100 planning records a day, significantly speeding up the process and rapidly clearing the national backlog.

The government is now working with Google to develop and expand Extract to all local authorities in England using its Gemini model. The government will expand Extract to handle all planning document types with the aim of supporting local authorities to digitise all planning documents by the end of 2026.

Prime minister Keir Starmer said: “For too long, our outdated planning system has held back our country, slowing down the development of vital infrastructure and making it harder to get the homes we need built. This government is working hand in hand with business to change that. With Extract, we’re harnessing the power of AI to help planning officers cut red tape, speed up decisions and unlock new homes for hard-working people as part of our Plan for Change.

“It’s a bold step forward in our mission to build 1.5 million more homes and deliver a planning system that’s fit for the 21st century.”

Deputy prime minister and housing secretary Angela Rayner added: “By using cutting-edge technology like Extract we can fix the broken planning system, cut delays, save money, and also reduce burdens on councils to help pave the way for the biggest building boom in a generation.”

Co-founder & chief executive of Google DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, said: “We build our AI models to understand all types of information – from text to handwritten notes and technical drawings – so it’s really exciting to see the UK government choose Gemini to help speed up the planning process and support planners and people across the country.”

Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council chief executive Tom Shardlow said: “Just like many local authorities, Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council has many plans and documents in storage from historic planning applications over the years. Working with the Extract team, we have seen the outputs from Extract, and how these could improve our service, providing high quality, digital, GeoSpatial data and how this could speed up the process for our planning team.”

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