Homeowners and small businesses in England should get quicker answers on straightforward planning applications from today, under a new national scheme that moves routine decisions away from council committees.

From Saturday 31 October, applications such as house extensions, loft conversions and minor commercial changes will in most cases be decided by trained planning officers. The Government says the change will give applicants more certainty and free councillors to concentrate on larger and more sensitive developments.

What changes from today

The new National Scheme of Delegation sets out nationally which applications officers must decide and which may still go to a committee. Householder applications will no longer be referred to committees by councillors, a step ministers say removes a common source of delay. Committees will continue to handle the most significant schemes, but under clearer national rules rather than a patchwork of local practices.

AI tool expands to 15 councils

Alongside the rule change, an AI planning tool called PlanAssist is expanding after trials in Camden, Barnet and Dorset. Developed with Google DeepMind, Google Cloud, Faculty and local authorities, it brings applications, policies and site constraints together for officers to review. Early testing cut time spent on key tasks by 58%, helping halve processing times for routine householder applications from eight weeks to four, according to the Government.

The tool will now be tested in 15 councils for 12 months, with the intention of making it available to every council in England by the end of 2027.

Why ministers say it matters

Ministers also point to 420 newly recruited planners through government-backed programmes, above the 2024 manifesto commitment to recruit 300. The aim, they say, is to cut unnecessary waits while keeping decisions with qualified officers.