KING'S SPEECH

King's Speech: Labour Government will 'get Britain building'

The Labour Government will deliver its aim of building 1.5 million houses by ‘modernising planning committees’.

Building (c) Joseph C/Shutterstock

Building (c) Joseph C/Shutterstock

The Labour Government will deliver its aim of building 1.5 million houses by ‘modernising planning committees'.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer used his first King's Speech to confirm the Government's ambition to ‘get Britain building, including through planning reform' as ministers seek to ‘accelerate the delivery of high-quality infrastructure and housing'.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill aims to accelerate housebuilding by improving local planning decision making and by increasing local planning authorities' capacity.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves last week pledged to reintroduce compulsory housing targets despite criticisms of the policy from local government.

Labour has previously promised to pay for 300 new planners for local authorities.

The Bill also seeks to streamline the delivery process for critical infrastructure by simplifying the ‘consenting process for major infrastructure projects'.

Chief executive of think-tank Localis, Jonathan Werran, said: ‘Legislative plans outlined in today's King's Speech to reintroduce strategic planning could be a gamechanger for housing supply.

‘Any reforms to planning will need to be supported by better resources for local authorities to deliver on the ground the manifesto ambition for 1.5 million new homes over the lifetime of the Parliament.'

 

KING'S SPEECH

With opportunity comes great responsibility

By Laura Murphy | 27 June 2025

Laura Murphy and Andrew Stilwell look at the importance of strong, collaborative leadership as organisations navigate through this new era of digital transfo...

KING'S SPEECH

How to make leadership radical, capable and agile

By Kim Wright | 27 June 2025

With the LGA Conference on 1-3 July imminent, Kim Wright – who will speak at the event – says investing in the best local government leaders is a necessity a...

KING'S SPEECH

The power of the dream

By Jon Rouse | 27 June 2025

Jon Rouse says that rather than being a bureaucratic exercise, reorganisation is about complete reinvention of what the state exists to do – enabling communi...

KING'S SPEECH

We're ready to lead

By Joanna Killian | 27 June 2025

Ahead of the LGA Conference, Joanna Killian says the sector should take confidence in how far it has come and the potential that lies ahead, and that its fut...

Popular articles by William Eichler