How AI Is Revolutionising UK Government Housing Systems

Town halls across England still keep planning records on paper, stacked in basements and corridors. The oldest files date back half a century, well before cloud storage and high speed internet.

Peter Kyle, UK Technology Secretary said, “The UK’s planning system has been held back for too long by outdated paper documents, slow processes, making it nearly impossible for councils to make informed decisions quickly.

“As part of our Plan for Change, we’re using the power of AI to transform sluggish systems so we can start to rebuild. With Extract, councils will have access to better quality data so they can move more quickly on planning decisions and get on with driving growth.

“Technology like this could be a vital step towards councils meeting targets to help build the 1.5 million new homes the country needs, all while updating and improving the planning system for the future.”

 

How Does The AI Tool Work?

 

British startups trained the system to read blurred maps, photocopies, and scribbled notes, teaching it to spot street names even when they are half rubbed out.

The AI scans a file and turns it into clear, searchable data in about 40 seconds. During trials a 20 page bundle, normally a 2 hour task for a clerk, appeared in a planning database in under a minute. That cut let staff spend the saved hours meeting applicants rather than wrestling with scanners.

Councils keep full control of every record because the processing happens inside a secure government cloud. Once the scan finishes, the digital file drops straight into mapping software without extra clicks.

 

 

What Could Quicker Data Mean For Housing?

 

Fast searches shorten every stage of the approval chain. Officers can check flood limits or heritage status in minutes, committee agendas fill sooner, and consultation letters reach neighbours earlier.

Builders can start ground work earlier and hand keys to renters months before the paper timetable. Early ground works bring construction jobs forward too, helping local contractors fill their order books. Cheaper borrowing is another gain, as quicker approval trims interest on land loans.

The Office for Budget Responsibility values recent planning reforms at £6.8 billion. DSIT believes smarter archives will add more, because they cut staff hours lost to manual filing and scanning.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle told Parliament that modern digital tools across public bodies could free £45 billion for frontline work. That amount matches the annual police grant for England and Wales.

Housing charities say paperwork alone is not the only hurdle, but they welcome any step that turns drawings into bricks sooner. Faster supply eases waiting lists and brings down rent pressure.

 

Could Other Public Services Eventually Benefit?

 

Planners are not the only staff who who go through land records in detail… Fire brigades, flood teams, and transport officers read the same maps when they design escape routes, river walls or bus lanes.

DSIT plans to share Extract through a single portal once trials finish. A common dataset would also let citizens trace planning histories online rather than filing formal record requests. Shared access means every department reads one trusted record and avoids typing the same facts again.

Early reports from council pilots call the software a helpful time saver rather than a threat to jobs. 10 authorities will run larger trials later this year, and their findings will decide when the system reaches the rest of the country.