Weekly planning news

Ai-planning decisions are coming: standardising data for a smarter system

The government has launched a £10 million tender to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) tool capable of supporting – and accelerating – the process of planning decisions. It’s an ambitious step towards a future where routine applications could be processed far more quickly and consistently.

The announcement follows closely on the heels of news that Planning Portal, the national planning application service and joint venture between TerraQuest and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), will be introducing AI-integrated validation during 2026.

Together, these developments mark a clear shift towards embedding intelligent automation and standardised data practices across the planning system – helping to reduce workloads, improve data quality, and create a more seamless experience for applicants, agents and local authorities alike.

The government’s proposed AI tool, led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in partnership with MHCLG, aims to enable “AI-augmented decision making” – starting with straightforward householder developments before expanding to other application types.

The goal is to cut processing times from the typical eight weeks to around four, with a long-term ambition of achieving “near-instant” determinations for simple cases. The system would analyse material considerations, assess policy compliance, and generate reasoned recommendations – all while integrating with existing planning systems and remaining under the oversight of planning officers.

At the same time, MHCLG has begun work to standardise planning decision notices, recognising that “crucial” data contained in these documents is currently scattered and difficult to analyse. By moving towards a structured, consistent format for decision data, the department hopes to make information more accessible and interoperable – supporting more effective forecasting, reporting and cross-agency collaboration.

This work complements efforts to standardise the planning application submission stage, now entering testing, and underpins the same vision driving AI integration: a fully connected, data-driven planning ecosystem where information flows freely and efficiently from submission to decision.

For Planning Portal, the integration of AI into validation processes is a natural evolution of our role in modernising and digitising planning. By embracing these technologies responsibly, we aim to support local authorities in improving accuracy, reducing turnaround times and freeing up planning teams to focus on more complex, higher-value work.

As the sector moves towards automation and open, standardised data, the groundwork being laid today will reshape how we plan, build and grow for decades to come – delivering a planning system fit for the digital age.

Lords back extension of Habitats Regulations to Ramsar sites after Tory peers push for removal

The House of Lords has voted to uphold the government’s plan to extend the Habitats Regulations to Ramsar-designated wetland sites - a move that has further contributed the long-running debate over how best to balance housing growth with environmental safeguards.

The decision came just weeks after the Supreme Court ruled that Ramsar sites, though internationally recognised as vital wetlands, were not legally covered by the Habitats Regulations. Many developers welcomed that ruling as a long-overdue clarification, arguing it could help unlock stalled housing schemes affected by nutrient neutrality constraints.

However, the government’s proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill seeks to reverse that outcome. Clause 90 and schedule 6 would bring Ramsar sites formally within the Habitats Regulations, aligning them with other protected habitats.

According to Planning Resource, conservative peers have described the move as “inexplicable” and “perverse”, accusing ministers of undermining a own pro-growth agenda. Lord Roborough told the Lords that the CG Fry judgment “creates an opportunity to accelerate home building”, which the bill “threatens to eliminate unnecessarily”.

Yet the government maintains that the extension is essential to ensure consistency in environmental protection. Labour’s Baroness Hayman of Ullock argued that claims of large-scale housing being “unlocked” by the Supreme Court’s ruling were overstated, noting that no relevant new applications had emerged since nutrient neutrality guidance was introduced in 2020. 

She emphasised that the change would allow funds from the government’s nature restoration programme to be used to mitigate development impacts on Ramsar sites.

Ultimately, peers voted 178 to 162 against the amendment to remove the clause, ensuring that the proposed protections remain part of the bill as it heads to its third reading.

Several villages redefined as towns, to ‘protect’ greenbelt 

In a bid to protect its green belt, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council has approved the reclassification of four of its largest villages as towns - a novel move that could set a precedent for other local authorities grappling with the same challenge.

The decision merges Knowle, Dorridge and Bentley Heath into a single town, while separately upgrading Balsall Common to town status. The change, outlined in the council’s new Rural Settlement Hierarchy Assessment, allows the updated classifications to be treated as a material planning consideration in future decisions.

The strategy stems from recent government guidance clarifying that green belt protections around villages carry less weight than those preventing the coalescence of towns. 

By redefining key settlements as towns, the council aims to “maintain the integrity” of its green belt boundaries, effectively closing off potential development loopholes created by new national policy.

While the council insists that residents can continue to identify with their village communities, the reclassification marks a significant policy shift. It highlights how local authorities are interpreting planning reforms creatively, and, some might argue, defensively, to retain control over land use.