Councils aim for faster planning decisions with Google AI trial.

Planning delays have long been one of the biggest frustrations in England’s housing system, so, as reported by the Financial Times 5th May 2026, it is not surprising that ministers are now looking to AI for help. Councils are set to test a Google-built planning tool aimed at speeding up decisions on building applications, with the hope that it can cut backlogs, improve efficiency and support wider housebuilding goals.

The tool, called the Augmented Planning Decision Tool, will not replace human planners, but it could change how they work. It is designed to review digitised planning data, local policies and supporting documents, then generate a recommendation on whether an application should be approved or refused. The final decision will still sit with council officers, but the process could become much faster and more structured.

Supporters, of the technology, see a chance to reduce pressure on overstretched planning departments and move decisions along far more quickly. Critics caution that faster decisions are not always better ones, especially if transparency, professional judgement and public trust start to weaken. The real test will be whether AI can make the system more efficient without making it feel less fair.

There is also a bigger question in the background: if councils begin using AI to assess applications, will developers, campaigners and consultants respond with AI tools of their own? That could create a new kind of planning battleground, where competing models and datasets are used to argue over what policy or precedent really means. In that sense, this trial is not just about speeding up paperwork. It may be the beginning of a much larger shift in how planning decisions are debated, challenged and made.