Google Cloud AI automates council planning tasks in England

6/17/2026

Google Cloud generative AI speeds UK planning applications and cuts paperwork See how councils are using Extract and APD to reduce delays and support housing goals

Google Cloud and UK government agencies are rolling out generative AI tools to help local councils handle planning applications more quickly. The effort is aimed at reducing paperwork and delays in the planning system as the UK works toward its housing target of 1.5 million new homes by 2029. Two tools are being expanded: Extract, which turns unstructured planning records and legacy PDFs into structured data, and Augmented Planning Decisions, a prototype that helps officers sort documents, check policy references, summarize consultation feedback, and draft report sections. Officials said human planners will still make the final decisions. The tools were developed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Google DeepMind, Google Cloud, and Faculty. After trials in several councils, Extract is now being deployed across England, while the APD prototype is being tested in Barnet, Dorset, and Camden before a wider rollout planned for 2027.