The UK Government’s recent announcement of a new AI tool Extract to accelerate the planning process has generated significant interest across the property sector. With the promise of cutting red tape and helping deliver 1.5 million homes, it’s a bold move aimed at tackling one of the most persistent barriers to housing delivery, planning delays.
Speaking at London Tech Week in June, Prime Minister Keir Starmer boldly announced that Extract, which will be powered by Google DeepMind’s Gemini AI assistant, will be rolled out to all councils by next spring.
In pilot trials conducted by Hillingdon, Nuneaton & Bedworth and Exeter councils, Extract was able to digitise planning records, including maps, in just three minutes per document. This efficiency means the tool could process up to 100 planning records per day. According to government estimates, it has the potential to save planning officers around 250,000 hours annually time currently spent manually reviewing and validating documents.
Prime Minister, Keir Starmer said:
“For too long, our outdated planning system has held back our country – slowing down the development of vital infrastructure and making it harder to get the homes we need built. 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.”
At Muller Property Group, we welcome innovation, especially when it has the potential to unlock land and bring much needed new developments to market. But as with any major reform, it’s worth asking: will it work in practice?
The Promise of AI in Planning
The concept is compelling. Extract is designed to rapidly scan and interpret planning documents, reducing validation times from hours to minutes. If successful, it could free up planning officers to focus on decision-making rather than administration potentially speeding up approvals and reducing backlogs.
For landowners and developers alike, this could mean faster timelines, greater certainty and, at long last a more responsive planning system.
However, technology alone rarely solves systemic issues. While AI can streamline document handling, it doesn’t address deeper challenges such as:
- Under-resourced planning departments
- Inconsistent local policies
- Community opposition and political pressures
- The complexity of strategic land promotion
There’s also the question of implementation. Of particular concern to our inhouse team is the wide variety of planning IT systems being used across the country, some far more successfully than others. Many councils still rely on legacy planning systems and face significant skills gaps both in terms of digital planning and digital skills. According to the Local Authority Planning Capacity and Skills Survey (January 2025), over half of planning departments cite digital capability as a major challenge, yet only a fraction have prioritised it for improvement. The rollout of Extract will require not just new technology, but also investment in training system upgrades and cultural change across the planning sector.
Is all that possible in under a year? It’s a significant ask for councils to expect already overstretched planning officers to learn and adopt new digital responsibilities while still maintaining momentum in the local planning process. Only time will tell whether all local authorities will adopt the tool effectively and if Extract will integrate smoothly with the myriad of systems currently being used.
At Muller, we see AI as a valuable tool but not a silver bullet. The planning process is as much about people, place, and policy as it is about paperwork. Strategic land promotion still requires deep expertise, local engagement and a long-term view.
That’s why we continue to invest in our planning team, build strong relationships with councils and planning departments and working closely with landowners to navigate the process collaboratively.
What This Means for Landowners
If Extract delivers on its promise, in time landowners could benefit from faster planning outcomes and a clearer less stressful path to unlocking land value. But success will depend on how well the system is rolled out and whether it’s supported by the resources and reforms needed to make it work.
In the meantime, partnering with an experienced land promoter remains the most reliable way to navigate the planning landscape. At Muller, we’re watching these developments closely and are ready to help landowners make the most of the opportunities ahead.
Want to explore more about unlocking a parcel of your land for future development? Visit our landowners page here.
