Homeowners wanting to extend their homes or convert a loft, and small businesses improving their premises, should get planning decisions sooner under changes announced by the government, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. From Saturday 31 October, straightforward applications will be decided by expert planning officers instead of waiting for a slot at a planning committee.
Key points
- New delegation scheme — routine applications will be settled by officers, freeing councillors to focus on major developments.
- PlanAssist AI tool — early testing cut time spent on key planning tasks by 58%, halving processing times for routine householder applications from eight weeks to four.
- More planners — 420 have been recruited through government-backed programmes, beating the manifesto commitment of 300.
- Rollout — after trials in Camden, Barnet and Dorset, the tool expands to 15 councils for 12 months, with the aim of reaching every council in England by the end of 2027.
The National Scheme of Delegation is intended to give applicants greater certainty and to free up councillors for the most significant developments. Householder applications make up nearly 70% of the total each year, so the changes are expected to get more everyday cases moving.
The PlanAssist tool, developed with Google DeepMind, Google Cloud, Faculty and local authorities, brings applications, policies and site constraints together in one place for trained officers to review. Planning officers remain responsible for decisions. Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said families and businesses should not be left waiting unnecessarily for straightforward decisions, and that the government had already beaten its pledge to recruit 300 planners, with 1,400 new recruits planned across the planning system by the end of this Parliament.
What it means in practice
If you are planning a loft conversion, an extension or a change to shop premises, the decision on a straightforward application may now come from a council officer rather than a committee meeting, which could mean less waiting. The AI tool is being extended gradually, so what you experience will depend on where you live.
- Check your council — ask whether it is using the new delegation scheme and, in time, PlanAssist, as the rollout is phased.
- Expect the same rules — officers still decide applications, so plans and paperwork need to be in order.
- Watch timings — routine householder cases could be decided in about four weeks in areas where the tool is in use, rather than eight.
