The UK government has launched Extract, a new AI tool designed to transform the planning system and expedite home construction. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at London Tech Week, emphasising the tool’s ability to rapidly convert handwritten planning documents into digital data. This initiative supports the government’s target of building 1.5 million homes by improving planning permissions.
Jointly developed by the UK government and Google, Extract aims to significantly optimise operations for planning officers and local councils. The tool promises to alleviate delays that have long impacted the planning process by reducing manual document checking time, which currently totals an estimated 250,000 hours annually. According to the UK government, Extract offers an efficient alternative by instantaneously digitising outdated records.
“For too long, our outdated planning system has held back our country — slowing down the development of vital infrastructure and making it harder to get the homes we need built,” said Starmer. “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 the new homes for hard-working people as part of our Plan for Change.”
Trials in Hillingdon, Nuneaton & Bedworth, and Exeter councils showed Extract’s ability to convert planning records into a digital format in three minutes per file. This performance starkly contrasts with the traditional one to two hours needed for manual processing. The system is expected to manage approximately 100 documents daily, significantly enhancing productivity.
Extract utilises Google’s Gemini model, which has both visual reasoning and multimodal capabilities. This enables the tool to interpret complex documents, including maps and handwritten notes, and ultimately transforms them into clear digital data. Gemini’s features include polygon extraction, which recognises relevant map features, and georeferencing that aligns historical maps with modern geographical data.
The British government intends to make Extract accessible to all councils by Spring 2026, aligning with its broader efforts to digitise the planning system. This strategy seeks to enhance transparency and make navigation easier for councils, businesses, developers, and citizens.
The implementation of Extract aligns with ongoing government initiatives to incorporate technology into public services. Councils invest an estimated £59.4m annually in digital planning software, expecting significant cost savings of around £527m per year for the public sector from these efforts.
Expanding Extract’s functionality across local authorities with Google’s support
The government is collaborating with Google to expand Extract’s functionalities across England’s local authorities using Gemini’s capabilities. By the end of next year, the government hopes that Extract will be able to handle all types of planning documents. The converted data will be accessible via a gov.uk service page, thereby ensuring greater transparency.
Potential deployment strategies for Extract into local councils are under consideration, including developing an app for instant document scanning. These strategies aim to streamline processes further and facilitate quicker decision-making within the UK’s housing development initiatives.
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