Artificial Intelligence
Regulations have been laid in Parliament requiring local planning authorities to publish plan and timetable data in a standardised format, when creating local, minerals, waste or supplementary plans under the new plan-making system. This marks a major step towards a more open, data-driven planning system.
England's planning system holds decades of valuable data locked in scanned PDFs and digital documents. Extract, an AI tool developed by MHCLG in partnership with the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence, converts historic planning maps and documents into standardised, usable data - so local authorities can make their data available and power digital planning services.
New technology is transforming how planning is delivered. 3 of the 4 finalists in this year's Planning Awards' digital technology category are funded by the Digital Planning programme, demonstrating how AI tools and technology are saving time, improving consistency and helping deliver 1.5 million homes.
Local AI is a new MHCLG team working with councils to support the responsible use of artificial intelligence across local government. We focus on the real pressures councils face, and work in partnership with the sector to tackle shared problems. Find out more about Local AI and how you can get involved.
We’re exploring if AI can help support faster local plan preparation. An AI tool developed by Greater Cambridge Shared Planning and the University of Liverpool is now being stress-tested by 5 local authorities, to see if the initial results – accurate consultation summaries produced in a fraction of the time - can be replicated elsewhere.
The recent Local Government Innovation Hackathon in Birmingham united over 150 experts to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping challenges. Teams developed bold, AI-driven solutions, including the winning prototype matching people to accommodation. The event showcased the power of collaboration, innovation and responsible AI in tackling pressing social issues and shaping future government policy.
The PropTech Innovation Challenge has revealed the potential for technology to revolutionise planning and housing delivery. Attracting 84 applications, with 225 partners, it demonstrates industry-wide commitment to finding innovative solutions which can help us meet our ambitious target of 1.5 million new homes.
This week, the Prime Minister officially launched Extract, the AI tool which the Digital Planning programme in MHCLG and the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence are developing to transform decades of planning information trapped in paper maps and PDFs into usable digital data. This technology will significantly reduce the time required to digitise documents from hours …
Innovation was sparked at the Local Government Innovation Hackathon, where 150 planners, technologists and digital leaders collaborated to solve real planning challenges. MHCLG proudly co-organised the event with Government Digital Service, Incubator for AI and Open Digital Planning, reimagining planning services through this hands-on approach.
Tom Smith, Director of the AI and Advanced Analytics Directorate at MHCLG, highlights the push for AI adoption, digital transformation and cyber resilience in councils, and the exciting opportunities to make progress in these areas through the work of Local Digital.
