AI to assist in ironing out building permit delays
Artificial intelligence could help speed up the issuing of building permits by the Department of Planning, MPs heard yesterday.
Diallo Rabain, the Minister of the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation, acknowledged that the permit process could be tedious, with some applications requiring more time.
He told the House of Assembly there were 372 building permit applications still open, with an average age of 165 days to clear ‒ adding that while some were much newer, others were significantly older.
In response to a question by opposition MP Robert King, Mr Rabain said: “It is something that we are trying to see when we talk about having AI complement that, to actually look through them in their entirety to try and find missing things upfront.”
A significant number of delays in building permits were said to stem from incomplete applications and the time required to obtain follow-up information.
Mr Rabain said 59 of the applications on the delay list were awaiting responses from the agencies that submitted them.
The average delay time was 170 days, with the “youngest” application at 20 days and the oldest at 481 days.
Mr Rabain said: “This is not about assigning blame; rather, it is to highlight the importance of shared responsibility.
“We cannot build an efficient system if applications arrive incomplete and, despite requests for the missing information, remain unchanged for weeks or even months.
“This situation adversely affects everyone, particularly those whose files are ready to proceed but are delayed due to these incomplete applications.”
He said he had asked the department to explore ways to separate completed submission applications from those still awaiting information, to ensure the queue kept moving for those that met requirements.
Mr Rabain said he supported the rejection of incomplete submissions that came to deadline without responses. He said they were usually resubmitted, with the process starting from scratch.
Since he assumed the ministerial portfolio, Mr Rabain said he has “devoted countless hours” to review data, read policy statements and listen to public feedback.
He also drew on his experience as a former agent submitting plans to the department.
He said: “Numerous ideas have been promoted and discussed over the past few weeks.”
The department is implementing its internal reorganisation plan to address the backlog. Five new staff have been hired in recent months.
Mr Rabain added: “With only one full-time permit processor and one supervisor, the team was overwhelmed.”
One full-time and another part-time consultant have been hired, with a third to be recruited if necessary.
Other measures include the introduction of a “competent persons scheme” to enable certified solar installers to proceed without traditional inspections and casual visits to ensure compliance.
The department was said to be exploring a revised building permit review system allowing applications endorsed by engineers to be fast-tracked with minimal internal review.
It also plans to expand self-inspection for residential projects and reinstate dedicated review days for all relevant agencies to collaborate and assess minor permits.
• To read Diallo Rabain’s statement in full, see Related Media
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