Reigate & Banstead Council has made a significant breakthrough in its planning capabilities, cutting the time to assess council-owned sites by a staggering 89% thanks to an AI-powered tool. The move marks a major shift towards more efficient development planning and prioritisation of land for housing and other initiatives.
The council's old approach relied heavily on manual assessments, often outsourcing expertise and using individual officers with various tools – leading to slow progress and only one site being assessed per year. With the introduction of Vestega, officers can now evaluate up to 40 sites annually, resulting in a refined list of 19 priority sites capable of delivering approximately 400 new homes.
Vestega streamlines assessments by allowing officers to compare sites using consistent assumptions and financial frameworks, crucial for understanding site viability. The tool helps model capital requirements and revenue impacts across multiple sites, even identifying potential for sites that might not be viable alone but could thrive in a larger programme.
This pilot project demonstrates the growing adoption of PropTech within local government planning. The council highlights that professional judgement remains essential, with officers using Vestega to inform decisions rather than replace human oversight and engagement with relevant teams.
The impact extends beyond Reigate & Banstead, with streamlined planning processes set to benefit businesses in the construction and property sectors through faster decision-making and a more predictable pipeline. For local residents, this signals a more efficient route to addressing housing needs through council-led initiatives. As digitisation becomes increasingly prevalent in the property sector, it may also unlock innovation and new opportunities for tech providers.