--- name: al-580-pre-check-a-home-extension-or-conservatory-planning-appli description: "Routine householder planning applications (extensions, loft conversions, conservatories) can wait weeks and get sent back for missing documents. On Oct 31, 2026, Google DeepMind said PlanAssist, an AI tool built with Gemini alongside the UK government, Google Cloud and Faculty, is expanding from Barnet, Camden and Dorset to 15 English councils for a 12-month beta. It checks that required documents and drawings were submitted, checks the application against heritage constraints such as tree preservation orders and local and national policies, looks at earlier issues or objections, and drafts a cited report that a planning officer edits and decides on. DeepMind says pilots cut officers' assessment time by up to 58% and over 70% of its reports were approved with no edits. Homeowners, investors and agents advising buyers can run the same checklist on their own application first with any AI assistant. It isn't planning advice; confirm with the council or a planning consultant. Use when…" --- # Pre-check a home extension or conservatory planning application the way councils now do with AI: have an AI list the documents required, flag heritage and tree constraints and the local policies that apply, and look at past objections nearby, before you submit Routine householder planning applications (extensions, loft conversions, conservatories) can wait weeks and get sent back for missing documents. On Oct 31, 2026, Google DeepMind said PlanAssist, an AI tool built with Gemini alongside the UK government, Google Cloud and Faculty, is expanding from Barnet, Camden and Dorset to 15 English councils for a 12-month beta. It checks that required documents and drawings were submitted, checks the application against heritage constraints such as tree preservation orders and local and national policies, looks at earlier issues or objections, and drafts a cited report that a planning officer edits and decides on. DeepMind says pilots cut officers' assessment time by up to 58% and over 70% of its reports were approved with no edits. Homeowners, investors and agents advising buyers can run the same checklist on their own application first with any AI assistant. It isn't planning advice; confirm with the council or a planning consultant. ## Inputs to collect first Ask the user for anything below that they haven't already given you. Don't guess missing facts. - The material the task is about (pasted text, notes or data) ## Instructions Do the task below with the user's inputs in place of each [bracket]. 1. Collect your draft application: description of the work, site plan, drawings with dimensions, and photos. 2. Download your council's validation checklist for householder applications and its local plan or design guide pages for extensions. Note if the property is in a conservation area, is listed, or has protected trees nearby (check the council map). 3. Upload everything to ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and ask: "Using only these documents, list every item the validation checklist requires and say whether my application includes it. Mark anything missing." 4. Ask: "Which local and national policies in these documents apply to this extension (height, depth, distance to boundary, materials, overlooking)? For each, quote the policy, say whether my plans seem to comply, and give the page." 5. Look up past applications on nearby addresses on the council's planning portal, paste the decision notices and objections, and ask: "What issues came up most often and does my plan raise any of them?" 6. Fix the gaps, then confirm anything uncertain with the council's planning team or a planning consultant before you submit. ## Safety checks (share these with the user) - Check every figure, price and total against your own records before anything is sent, posted or booked. A person approves refunds, discounts, payments and price changes. - Remove names, contact details, account numbers and other personal data the task doesn't need before you paste, and check your AI tool's data and training settings. - Check names, dates, numbers and any claim against your own source material before you use the answer. AI can misread or invent details. - Say clearly which parts need a person to review or approve before anything is sent, paid, posted or filed. ## About this skill - Works with: PlanAssist (councils), ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, your council's planning portal - Based on this real-world example: https://deepmind.google/blog/speeding-up-planning-decisions-with-ai/ - Free prompt from AgentPlaybook Real Estate: https://agentic-library.netlify.app/prompt/al-580-pre-check-a-home-extension-or-conservatory-planning-applicat/ - To install in an agent that supports Agent Skills, save this file as SKILL.md in a folder with the same name as `name` above (for example in your skills directory). Install steps for Claude.ai, Claude Code, Cursor and Codex: https://agentic-library.netlify.app/skills/