Let’s be honest, the planning process is no walk in the park. For property professionals, navigating the vast amount of planning history on any given site is a critical yet time-sensitive task. From understanding which applications actually matter to sifting through irrelevant noise, the challenge is real - and you’ll spend hours trying to get the job done.
Enter our AI Planning History Summary, a new feature on LandInsight that is designed to cut through the planning clutter and help you focus on what really matters. In essence, we’ve leveraged the latest in generative AI to transform the way you work.
But, before we get into the nitty gritty of this new feature, it’s important to consider the use of AI in planning more generally.
AI in planning: opportunity meets responsibility
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries, and planning and urban development is no exception. Tools like Large Language Models (LLMs) and Predictive AI are already being used to streamline tasks and provide data-driven insights. But, while AI undoubtedly brings a wealth of opportunities for efficiency, it also raises questions around accountability, transparency and trust.
For example, while LLMs can draft policy reports and summarise stakeholder consultations, you wouldn’t want to submit anything without casting some human eyes over it to ensure accuracy and legal compliance.
Similarly, the ability of Predictive AI to analyse historical data to predict future trends is astonishingly helpful, but historical data is exactly that - historical, and too much reliance on it can unintentionally amplify biases.
In the world of planning and urban development, the stakes are particularly high. Decisions made have a direct impact on communities, and that’s why AI must be treated as a helpful tool and not a substitute for professional judgement.
Still with us? We get it, there’s nothing simple about AI. Thankfully, our AI Planning History Summary is not only easy-to-use, it’s also been designed to strike the perfect balance: a simple tool that helps you work smarter, without losing sight of the need for expert oversight.
What is the AI Planning Summary?
The AI Planning History Summary is a new feature in LandInsight that uses cutting-edge generative AI technology to summarise the planning history of any site. Essentially, it provides you with clear and structured insights in seconds.
Spending endless hours sifting through dense planning records filled with applications that don’t matter to you is not a good use of your time. So, we built this feature to fix that. You can now get the information you really need in just a few seconds, so you can spend less time sifting and more time planning.
How does it work?
Using the feature couldn’t be easier. All you’ll need to do is:
- Select a site from the map
- Click the Planning History tab in the assessment panel on the right
- If planning applications exist for the site, you’ll see a Generate Summary button
- Click the button, and that’s it. Within seconds the AI will generate a comprehensive summary of the planning history
The result? A clear, prioritised overview of the planning history of your selected site - highlighting what’s relevant, and filtering out the rest.
How does AI prioritise applications?
Not all planning applications are created equal, and the AI Planning History Summary knows that. We’ve categorised the applications into three tiers:
- Primary applications of interest: For example, full applications and reserved matters. These are summarised first and in the most detail.
- Secondary applications: For example, change of use, in which you’ll receive a brief summary.
- Further applications: For example, discharge of conditions and TPOs, which are noted with minimal detail.
In each category, applications are grouped by type - residential, commercial or other - and prioritised by significance and date. For example, major residential applications are summarised first and then followed by minor ones, ensuring you get the most relevant information upfront.
What’s more, inside the summary we’ll include the links to each referenced planning application so you can quickly and easily check accuracy and get further details.
How does this benefit you?
- Save time and resources: Manually combing through planning history is not just tedious, it’s costly. The AI Planning History Summary condenses hours of work into a matter of seconds, freeing up valuable time for you.
- Eliminate noise: By quickly filtering out applications irrelevant to you, this feature ensures you’re only reviewing what actually matters. This is particularly useful when assessing a site that has a complex and lengthy planning history.
- Increase accuracy and insight: The structured summary will help you make informed decisions quickly, and in grouping applications by type, we ensure no key detail is overlooked.
We're taking a balanced approach to AI
We’re proud of our new AI Planning History Summary feature - it’s a powerful tool that’s guaranteed to save you time, but it’s important to remember its role: to support, not replace, human expertise.
We’ve designed the feature with transparency in mind. At the end of each summary we’ll highlight its AI-generated nature as a reminder that your professional, expert and human judgement is essential in ensuring all material considerations are addressed.
Ready to cut through the planning noise?
The AI Planning History Summary feature is now live on LandInsight, which means you now have access to your new secret weapon for navigating the complexities of planning history.
But, don’t just take our word for it, hear it from the experts:
“I tested the AI Planning History Summary on a site I’ve been looking at, and in less than 45 seconds it’s done exactly what took me 45 minutes to do this morning.”
-Ross Prideaux, Assistant Land & Partnerships Manager, Keepmoat
AI might be changing the world as we know it, but tools like this ensure property professionals can stay ahead, without losing sight of the human touch that underpins every successful project.
If you’re new to LandTech, click the button below to request a demo from one of our human experts.
