Using AI to support planning decisions – what it means for planners and residents

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Artificial Intelligence, Data, Digital Planning
Minister for Data and Modern Digital Government Ian Murray, visiting Barnet Council to speak to council officers and see first-hand how the prototype is being developed.

A new AI planning prototype, developed with Google DeepMind and Faculty, is being tested with three local planning authorities to help officers process applications faster. The tool analyses applications and surfaces relevant policies while planning officers remain the key decision makers. Our ambition is to halve processing times for householder applications.

Extract is here: AI-powered planning data for every council in England 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Artificial Intelligence, Data, Digital Planning

Extract, a new AI-powered tool developed by MHCLG's Digital Planning Programme and i.AI, is now available for free, for every local planning authority in England. It converts planning documents into structured, usable data in minutes - cutting a process that can take officers up to two hours down to just two on average.

From conversations to insights: building Managing Local Conversations

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Tools and processes
Team members working together

The Digital Connect team (formerly Common Tools) in MHCLG builds standardised, reliable and reusable tools and platforms for everyone within the department. They help teams be more efficient and reduce operational costs. Learn how they’ve built Managing Local Conversations, a user-centred internal service that standardises engagement processes and makes insights easier to access.

Shape the future of voting: Join our Elections Digital team

Posted by: and , Posted on: - Categories: Careers, Elections
A mobile phone showing the register to vote page on GOV.UK

The Elections Digital team in MHCLG is growing and looking for a range of digital professionals to join them in providing excellent digital services which support citizens to exercise their right to vote. Find out about what the team is working on, why it matters, and the exciting opportunities on offer.

The IT Reuse for Good charter: creating social impact with everyday technology

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Technology, Ways of working
A young person's hands typing on a laptop, with an adult's hand next to it holding a pen

MHCLG is the first department signed up to DSIT’s Reuse for Good charter – and we’re already making a difference. In this blog post, we share how old tech devices can provide quality second lives to digitally excluded people who urgently need them, and useful tips gathered by our Live Services team along the way.

Data standards: Laying the groundwork for an open, faster, data-driven planning system 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Artificial Intelligence, Data, Digital Planning
graphic showing file inputs into a computer screen from planning data.gov.uk

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.

Extract: unlocking England’s planning data

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Artificial Intelligence, Data, Digital Planning
a group of people sitting around a table looking at a big screen showing the Extract tool

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.

The planning technology projects changing the planning system

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Artificial Intelligence, Digital Planning, PropTech
An aerial view of a residential area

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.

From emergency to sustainability: creating Share Homes for Ukraine data

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Homes for Ukraine
Share Homes for Ukraine Data on laptop screen

Learn how the Homes for Ukraine Digital team in MHCLG delivered a sustainable, in-house digital service at national scale to support a humanitarian crisis, transitioning from emergency response to long-term transformation, and creating significant efficiencies, a better user experience as well as opportunities for reusability across government.

Transforming planning with PlanX and new funding to help local planning authorities reap the rewards

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Data, Digital Planning, Planning software
Mobile phone in a person's hand displaying the PlanX interface

Local planning authorities are modernising planning services using open data. New software like PlanX is improving the experience for applicants, while back-office improvements are speeding up processing. New funding will help more authorities adopt tools and make improvements, freeing up planning teams to focus on delivering the homes communities need.