Property Industry welcomes PM’s ambitious pledges in the King’s Speech

Speaking in the House of Lords yesterday, King Charles set out the new Labour Government’s legislative agenda to “Get Britain building” again, via radical reform and the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

The King also announced new legislation to be introduced “to give greater rights and protections to people renting, including ending no-fault evictions”, adding a draft legislation will be published on leasehold and commonhold reform.

Other commitments made by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Government, include the introduction of an English Devolution Bill to give new powers to the Metro Mayors and combined authorities. And by “recognising the urgency of the global climate challenge”, the Government is to set up a Great British Energy Bill to accelerate investment into renewable energy.

“Taken together, these policies will enhance Britain’s position as a leading industrial nation and enable the country to take advantage of new opportunities to promote growth and wealth creation,” said the King.

The speech was warmly received across the property industry. Alistair Watson, The UK Head of Planning and Environment at the law firm Taylor Wessing, said the speech indicates the new Government has taken the “brakes off” and put their “foot to the floor” on reform planning.

“We all need somewhere to be – to work, to live, to play – and the draft bill on planning reform will give us all just that,” Watson said. “The planning reform package recognises the reality of the situation that we are in – there is no “my backyard”. Its ‘our backyard’.”

Nicola Gooch, Planning Partner at Irwin Mitchell, also claimed that although none of the pledges were surprising, they are all “needed”.

“The real question will be whether these policies can be delivered fast enough for their effect to be felt before the end of the term,” Gooch said.

“Five years is not a very long time to turn around something as complex and contentious as our planning system. It looks, however, as if the Government is, at the very least, determined to try.

“Despite the high-profile position of planning reform in the speech, it was relatively light on planning related legislation. If speed is the goal, then it makes sense to avoid too much primary legislation, which can easily get bogged down in parliament.”

Patrick Franco, Chief Executive of Notting Hill Genesis, welcomed plans to “turbo-charge” housebuilding, but criticised the “lack of clarity regarding the ongoing funding of housing associations”.

However, Smith Mordak, Chief Executive at the UK Green Building Council, welcomed the speech as a “seismic shift towards renewing the places we live, work and play”.

Regarding the end of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions, the Policy Director for the National Residential Landlords Association, Chris Norris expressed caution and said by ending Section 21 eviction powers in isolation, as suggested by some, it would make things tougher for renters, not better and “With an average of 15 households chasing every available home to rent, it is vital that rental reform does not make an already serious supply crisis in the private sector worse.

“The system that replaces Section 21 needs to be fair, workable and sustainable for both responsible landlords and renters. That means fixing a broken justice system which too often fails those reliant upon it.

“The Housing Minister has rightly noted that landlords need the courts to operate quickly where they have a good reason to repossess a property. This includes cases of tenant anti-social behaviour and serious rent arrears, which currently take almost seven months to process. This is far too long.

“Tenants are no better served by delays, which increase hardship, stress, and uncertainty. We need action from the Government, alongside the Bill, to ensure all are able to access justice in a timely fashion when they need to do so.

“We will work constructively with the Government as it continues to work on the detail of its plans.”