Urban Village Group Welcomes Government’s New AI Planning Tool ‘Extract’ as a Catalyst for Faster Development of Specialist Care Homes.
Unveiled by Prime Minister Keir Starmer during London Tech Week, the new tool, named Extract, has been developed with support from Google to assist local councils and planning officers in processing applications more efficiently. By harnessing AI technology capable of scanning hundreds of documents in seconds – including decades-old, handwritten planning records – Extract aims to transform the manual, paper-based planning process that currently consumes an estimated 250,000 hours of officer time each year.
In early trials with Hillingdon, Nuneaton & Bedworth, and Exeter councils, Extract proved capable of digitising historic planning documents in just three minutes per case – a task that typically takes up to two hours manually. The Government has committed to making Extract available to all local authorities by Spring 2026, with the long-term ambition of fully digitising the planning system and significantly reducing the time, cost and complexity of securing planning approval.
Urban Village Group believes this marks a significant breakthrough in helping to remove one of the key barriers facing developers of specialist supported housing, including much-needed children’s care homes. With planning processes often proving slow and unpredictable, the use of AI tools like Extract will offer developers and local authorities greater transparency, consistency, and speed – enabling the faster delivery of homes for vulnerable young people.
As a leading developer of specialist supported housing, Urban Village Group continues to work closely with care providers, local authorities and investors to meet the rising demand for safe, OFSTED-rated care homes across the UK. The adoption of AI within the planning framework represents an important enabler of this mission – helping ensure the right homes are built, in the right places, without unnecessary delay.
“The Extract tool represents a significant advancement in planning efficiency. For Cumulus Care, it means we can bring forward new specialist care homes with fewer delays, ensuring vulnerable individuals access the tailored support they need, more quickly and reliably.”
Louise Ashe-Crowe, Operations Manager, at Cumulus Care Services, Ofsted Registered
Urban Village Group supports the Government’s commitment to a fully digitised, more accessible planning system and looks forward to seeing the widespread rollout of Extract as part of this essential transformation.
“The introduction of ‘Extract’ is a welcome and long-overdue step towards modernising our planning system. For developers like Urban Village Group, who are focused on delivering high-quality specialist care homes, planning delays can have a direct impact on the wellbeing of the children and young people waiting for safe, supported accommodation. With faster processing and better access to planning data, this technology has the potential to revolutionise how we build – making it easier to bring forward the specialist housing solutions local communities urgently need.“
Peter Steer, Director at Urban Village Group
For further information regarding any of our developments or investment opportunities, email info@urbanvillagegroup.com or submit an info request via www.urbanvillagegroupinvestments.com.