Councils across Hertfordshire are considering whether artificial intelligence could be used to speed up the planning process. The initiative is being led by the Hertfordshire Growth Board and will look at the use of AI auto-validator tools by the authorities. The councils have already focused on ways to improve the recruitment and retention of planning officers – such as apprenticeships and mentoring, as well as a county-wide symposium. Improvements have also been made to the information available on planning web pages, in a bid to reduce the number of submitted applications that are invalid. …