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How is AI being used in planning in London?

Key information

Publication type: Current investigation

Publication status: Adopted

Publication date:

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Meeting aims and objectives (Terms of Reference)

  • To understand how AI is currently being used by planners in London, what impact AI is having on their work, and what guardrails are in place.
  • To scrutinise the GLA’s role in guiding the use of AI by planners in London.

Key issues

  • The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) believes that AI could improve the efficiency and effectiveness of planners and their impact on the built environment.
  • The term ‘AI’ is a catch-all term for other technological advancements including machine learning, generative AI and large language models. AI technology has advanced rapidly over the past decade. The Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor cited that “since 2023, AI capabilities have advanced dramatically, AI investment and adoption have significantly expanded, and a new geopolitical landscape has introduced further uncertainties”.
  • Nationally, the Government is encouraging planners to utilise AI in their work. Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook, has said: “We are dragging the [planning] system into the twenty-first century by harnessing the power of AI to streamline the planning application process, freeing up planners to make quicker and better decisions and reducing unnecessary delays.”
  • A 2025 report by the MHCLG found 79 per cent of local planning authorities were affected by recruitment difficulties and 93 per cent reported skills gaps, particularly in digital planning.
  • Research indicates AI is being used by planners, but there is limited detail on how it is being used. The National Cyber Security Centre has found that the use of “Shadow AI” is prevalent amongst the UK workforce with recent research suggesting that 71 per cent of employees reported using AI tools that have not been approved by their employer.
  • In London, the GLA has developed guidance for local planning authorities on how to manage the risk of adoption of AI products. For the first time, consultation responses to the Draft London Plan 2026 will be processed and assessed using an AI tool.
  • It has been reported by TerraQuest, the agency that runs the government’s national planning portal, that the volume of AI-generated responses to planning applications is ‘flooding councils’ and ‘slowing the system down’.

Key questions

  1. How is AI currently being used in planning by the GLA and London boroughs?
  2. Are London boroughs, the GLA and other planning organisations in London aware of which AI tools their staff are using?
  3. What safeguards are needed when AI is used across different planning functions (e.g. reviewing consultations, policy development/analysis, decision-making)?
  4. What role should / could the GLA play in guiding the responsible use of AI across London?
  5. How can London capture the potential benefits of AI in planning?
  6. Do Londoners know when and how AI is being used within the planning system in London, and should they be told?
  7. How is the availability of generative AI to local residents, and the increased representations this leads to, impacting the planning process?
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