A shake-up of planning, housing, and employment laws has been promised in the King's speech

A shake-up of planning, housing, and employment laws has been promised in the King's speech

A Planning and Infrastructure Bill that aims to expedite planning decisions for major infrastructure and house building was highlighted in the King's speech on Wednesday 17th July 2024.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill aims to reform the system to achieve the goal of constructing 1.5 million more homes during the Parliament. It will ensure that landowners compelled to sell their land for new developments are fairly compensated, especially in cases where important infrastructure or social housing projects are being developed. This bill is one of the 15 bills or draft bills falling under the category of "economic stability and growth", which is the primary focus of the Starmer administration's initial session.

Here are some other key points:

– Establishing state-owned energy production firm Great British Energy with £8.3 billion of public money across the Parliament.

– Creating a £7.3 billion national wealth fund to invest in schemes to generate economic growth and clean energy.

– A new package of workers’ rights, banning “exploitative” zero-hour contracts and giving day one rights on flexible working, parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal.

– A law to put water companies into “special measures” to clean up rivers, lakes and seas, with bosses facing personal criminal liability for lawbreaking and a beefed-up regulator having the power to ban bonus payments if environmental standards are not met.

– Measures to end no-fault evictions and give greater protections to people renting their homes.

– Confirmation of plans to impose VAT on private school fees to fund new teachers in state classrooms.

Sir Keir Starmer wants to reform planning rules to make it easier to build homes and infrastructure

Setting out the key aims of his plan, Sir Keir said: “We will reform the planning rules to build the homes and infrastructure the country desperately needs.

“We will level up workers’ rights, so every person has security, respect and dignity at work; we will create a new industrial strategy and invest in cleaner, cheaper British energy; and we will harness the power of artificial intelligence as we look to strengthen safety frameworks.”

Despite the Government’s focus on speeding through planning decisions on major infrastructure and housing schemes, he promised to “push power out of Westminster”.

Local leaders will be given powers to take control of bus services and trains will be brought under public ownership.

The King’s Speech also confirms the return of measures which were first introduced under the Conservatives – plans to phase out smoking and the creation of an independent football regulator.