Nottingham City Council will trial an artificial intelligence tool designed to help planning officers process applications more quickly.
The council is among 12 authorities joining an expanded test of PlanAssist, following initial trials in Camden, Barnet and Dorset. The programme will involve 15 councils over 12 months.
Developed with Google DeepMind, Google Cloud, Faculty and local authorities, the tool brings together applications, planning policies and site constraints, providing an initial assessment supported by evidence.
Officers will use it alongside their existing processes to test its performance. They will remain responsible for reviewing applications and making decisions.
The government says early testing reduced time spent on key tasks by 58%, helping halve processing times for routine householder applications from eight weeks to four. These are findings from earlier testing, rather than results reported for Nottingham.
The technology is intended to reduce administrative work on applications such as extensions, conservatories and loft conversions.
Ministers intend to make PlanAssist available to every council in England by the end of 2027, although its use will not be compulsory.
