Guidance for Local Planning Authorities, the Public, and Technology Providers
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are increasingly being used by members of the public to help prepare representations on planning applications and local plan consultations.
PAS has been working with councils to understand this emerging trend. While AI has the potential to support wider and more informed participation in planning, councils have reported some recurring issues with AI-generated submissions.
This page sets out what we are seeing, why it matters, and how we can improve the quality of engagement in the planning system.
If you want to learn more about artificial intelligence (AI) generally then access the LGA AI Unpacked series of short explainer videos designed to provide officers and councillors who are new to the topic with a starting point for understanding and engaging with AI concepts.
What We Are Seeing
Councils are receiving representations that appear to have been generated or heavily assisted by AI tools. These often:
- Are longer than necessary;
- Contain generic or repetitive content;
- Include irrelevant or fabricated references to planning policy or case law;
- Are poorly tailored to the specific application or local plan; and/or
- Refer to non-material considerations.
These issues make representations less useful to decision-makers and are likely to undermine public confidence in the planning process. AI-generated representations often aren’t effective representations and the exact opposite of what someone submitting the response wants to achieve.
This matters because for representations to be effective, they need to be:
- Relevant to planning matters;
- Accurate and evidence-based;
- Clear and proportionate; and
- Specific to the proposal or policy.
AI has the potential to generate effective representations but only if it is used carefully and responsibly.
PAS is working to support:
- Members of the public - in making effective contributions. We have produced guidance and AI prompts for people wishing to use AI platforms to generate planning representations.
- AI platforms - in improving the quality of outputs they generate. We have produced ‘Guidelines for AI platforms’ to guide the generation of effective representations.
- Councils - in managing and responding to AI-generated representations. We have made versions of the AI guidance to members of the public and AI platforms that councils can customise to reflect their own requirements for representations and suggest these could be hosted on the councils’ webpages.
Get Involved
AI is likely to play an increasing role in how people engage with planning. By working collaboratively, we can improve the quality of representations, support informed community participation and maintain trust in the integrity of planning decisions. PAS will continue to work with councils and partners to develop practical guidance in this area.
If your council is experiencing issues or has examples of good practice, we would like to hear from you. Contact [email protected]