A government fund of £3.2m has been awarded to 27 local planning authorities to support the digitalisation of planning through the use of technology such as 4D, VR, and AR technology.
The funding, which comes in the third round of the PropTech Innovation Fund, aims to help authorities develop solutions to enhance the scalability, interoperability, and visualisation of consultation data and digital engagement platforms.
The primary objective is to reduce the time and resources spent on processing consultation feedback from citizens while addressing the challenges of data analysis, management, and governance.
The funds will be allocated to three separate cohorts, each focused on different outcomes and technologies.
Cohort 1 – which includes Nottingham City Council, Bradford Council, Cornwall Council, Southampton City Council, Wirral Council, and Birmingham City Council – will focus on trialing 3D, 4D, VR, AR models, and visualisation techniques to enable data-driven decision making and transparency in planning.
Cohort 2 – which includes Epsom and Ewell District Council, the London Borough of Newham, the London Borough of Waltham Forest, and the London Borough of Hounslow – will develop APIs, platform integration, and data standards to improve interoperability and back-office integration.
Cohort 3 – which includes Harlow and Gilston Garden Town, Greater Cambridge Shared Planning, Bolsover District Council, the London Boroughs of Richmond & Wandsworth, Cotswold and West Oxfordshire District Councils, and South West Hertfordshire Joint Strategic Plan – will focus on innovative approaches to processing and packaging feedback and representations through the application of new technologies, including AI and natural language processing.
Read next: Experts to discuss clean heating and decarbonisation at Procure Plus HAES conference
Are you a social housing professional? Sign up for a FREE MEMBERSHIP to upload news stories, post job vacancies, and connect with colleagues on our secure social feed.
