AI has been a hot topic for some time now. The planning permission sector in the UK is set to be impacted by the use of AI technology according to a recent government press release.
We’ll have a look into what that could mean for planning permission efficiency and the wider public in general.
How will AI be used in Planning Permission?
The use of AI across a wide variety of sectors has long been cited as a way to increase business efficiency.
This Forbes article goes into detail about the perceived benefits of embracing AI technology.
Considering the ambitious targets the government is setting around house building, it’s clear an increase in efficiency in planning departments is going to be required to meet the house building targets the UK Government has set itself.
Living England – Machine Learning
A key part of the use of AI in planning permission seems to be in utilising a tool called “Living England”. Living England is intended to make the process of finding and predicting land to be used for development much easier by segmenting the entire country and classifying the use of each segment of land using satellite imagery.
As the land segments change over time, AI and in particular, machine learning will be able to predict how and where the use of land may change, and therefore identify logical areas for development.
Human Decision Making Will Still Rule
The Government article around AI stops short of going into too much more detail about how AI will speed up planning permission decision making.
Interestingly however it does highlight some key points from The AI Playbook recently published by the government’s department of science, innovation and technology:
- Have meaningful human control at the right stages, so any decisions recommended by technology can be monitored properly, and changed rapidly if needed.
- Choose the right tool for the right job and avoid using AI where more basic technology can fulfil the same task.
- Work with teams responsible for buying technology right from the start, to make sure agreements struck with private sector companies can be utilised to maximum potential in this rapidly evolving market.
Crucially, as you can see above. The focus on human control at key stages is to be retained and so it should be.
AI can be a useful tool, however we must retain autonomy over ultimate decision making.
With that being said, The Alan Turing Institute has outlined a number of uses for AI in planning applications that could help to streamline the process and save time.
When conducting research, the Turing Institute found that 80% of rejected applications were down to 8 common mistakes.
AI could be used to scan applications for these common mistakes which would save time for decision makers in local planning offices.
Use a Local Planning Expert
While technology may be able to streamline the process, of course our best advice is to always consult a local planning expert such as Simple Planning Solutions to assist with a planning application.
Our satisfied customers agree.
Michelle Hill MRTPI
As a leading planning consultant I can help with the topics covered in this post. Contact me and I can find you a solution to your planning problem.
