Rother District Council launches AI planning pilot in bid to support housing delivery

Rother District Council has launched a pilot with planning technology company Valon to explore how artificial intelligence could help improve planning processes and support the delivery of new homes and infrastructure.

News comes as councils across Sussex face growing pressure to support housing delivery under Labour’s plans to build 1.5 million homes, with proposed housing targets requiring more than 14,000 homes a year to be built across the county - a 24 per cent increase on previous targets.

Working with Valon, a British planning technology company that supports local authorities to process planning applications more efficiently, the pilot will explore how AI can assist with planning validation and other administrative tasks. This includes checking applications against planning requirements, identifying missing information and helping prepare cases for officer review.

Planning officers remain responsible for all planning decisions, with the technology designed to support administrative work rather than replace professional judgement.

The pilot comes as planning performance remains under scrutiny nationally. Latest figures show only around one in five major planning applications are being determined within the statutory 13-week target, while ministers continue to push ahead with plans to deliver 1.5 million homes during this Parliament.

While planning policy often dominates debate, growing attention is also being paid to the systems and processes that sit behind planning decisions, with councils across the UK exploring how technology can help improve efficiency and support housing delivery.

Jack Reeves, Co-Founder of Valon, said: “Councils are under growing pressure to help deliver homes and infrastructure while continuing to provide high-quality services.

“Much of the challenge facing planning departments is not about planning policy itself, but the volume of administrative work required to move applications through the system.

“Technology can help reduce that burden, freeing planners to focus on what they do best - assessing applications, applying policy and making decisions. If Britain is to meet its housing ambitions, councils need practical support to help them do that.

“It’s encouraging to see Rother District Council taking a proactive approach and exploring how technology can help planning teams work more efficiently.”

Councils across the UK are increasingly exploring how technology can support planning teams as pressure grows to deliver new homes and infrastructure. Rother District Council’s pilot will help test whether AI-assisted validation and process automation can reduce administrative burdens and improve the efficiency of planning services.

Valon’s planning software automates high-volume administrative tasks including document validation, requirements checking and issue flagging, enabling planning officers to focus on decision-making and casework.