The Future of Planning: AI’s Impact on Reshaping Planning System

In recent years, many local planning authorities, including the central government, have been experimenting with various AI-driven tools to modernise and streamline planning and related services. The primary purpose of using AI in planning is to harness the vast amount of data generated by the built environment and bridge gaps between planners, architects, and statutory consultees, enabling data-driven decision-making. This approach increases efficiency, ultimately saving both time and costs. The general public could also benefit significantly, as AI-powered interfaces make complex planning information easier to understand, fostering greater public participation. While some progress has been made in expediting planning decisions, AI’s broader role in the planning system remains largely unexplored.

Although every possible benefit is not detailed here for brevity, AI could significantly help rebuild planning’s foundations in three key areas:

Consultation & Engagement

AI has the potential to make consultation and engagement more efficient and interactive. By transforming lengthy technical reports into accessible, plain-language summaries, AI would allow the public to better understand proposed developments. AI can also analyse and summarise large volumes of public representations, making the consultation process more manageable. Additionally, generative AI can produce three-dimensional visualisations, providing communities with a tangible way to see and refine future plans. Virtual consultations can further enhance public engagement, capturing diverse perspectives and yielding richer feedback. This, in turn, enables planners to address community concerns earlier in the process.

Plan-Making

AI could offer substantial improvements in the ‘call for sites’ process by analysing national geospatial and infrastructure live data and providing local planning authorities with unbiased, data-driven insights on site allocations. It could also facilitate the duty to cooperate by seamlessly integrating data across neighbouring authorities. Moreover, AI could enhance the quality of evidence-based studies that guide planning decisions by standardising methodologies and identifying anomalies in the data. By incorporating AI “expert agents” in key areas—such as transport, environment, and heritage—planners could access rapid, collaborative analytics while maintaining full control over final decisions.

Decision-Making Applications

AI-driven systems could be employed to recommend outcomes for non-complex planning projects—such as minor developments, household applications, or proposed lawful development certificates—based on policy and regulatory criteria. By analysing submitted documents, site plans, and relevant local policies, AI could generate draft reports for senior management’s final review, highlighting key insights, potential concerns, and suggested next steps. Automating these lower-risk cases would help streamline the planning workflow, allowing planning officers to focus on more complex or high-impact projects. Ultimately, this would expedite approvals for simpler applications while ensuring accountability through human oversight.

Risks & Considerations

There are inherent risks in integrating AI into planning, and in my opinion, there is still a long way to go in developing the perfect system. AI models can inherit inaccuracies or biases if they rely on flawed data, and without clear protocols, planners may become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of AI-generated insights, especially those prepared by opponents to development. Initiatives like the Planning Inspectorate’s guidance on AI usage are a strong start, but further progress is needed to ensure accountability and equity.

If deployed responsibly, AI can significantly reduce inefficiencies in planning, restore community trust and transform passive residents into proactive stakeholders in shaping their local areas. It enables data-driven decisions—minimising emotional and political influence—on where to build housing and infrastructure to promote sustainable development. With support from digital experts and improvements to data infrastructure, AI could help create a more ethical, effective, accurate, and transparent planning system. This is not just an opportunity for innovation—it is a chance to rebuild the foundations of planning and pave the way for a brighter, more collaborative future.

Discover how AI can transform planning. Contact our Planning Director, Ifti Maniar at 0123 552 3139, today to explore innovative, data-driven solutions for your projects!