Queen’s Speech promises planning reform, home ownership and R&D backing

The government will implement new planning laws, legislation to support home ownership and record levels of investment into research and development. Proposals were confirmed today in the Queen’s Speech at the state opening of parliament. The speech included measures to end ground rents, give rights to renters and implement laws around building safety. The Queen said: “My government will help more people to own their own home, while enhancing the rights of those who rent. “Laws to modernise the planning system so that more homes can be built will be brought forward, along with measures to end the practice of ground rents for new leasehold properties. “My ministers will establish in law a new building safety regulator to ensure that the tragedies of the past are never repeated.” The government will oversee the fastest increase in public funding for R&D and will pass legislation to establish an advanced research agency. The move will support continued efforts to boost jobs and investment into life sciences. In response to the Planning Bill, Fiona Howie, chief executive of the Town and Country Planning Association, said: “The details of this planning legislation will be critically important if it is to support communities in meeting the major challenges facing society. “Yes, we need more homes, but the bill must set out a framework that will deliver much more than that. As we approach COP26, the legislation is the last chance to ensure planning radically reduces our carbon emissions. It has to transform housing standards and give local people real democratic control over their future.” Howie added that it was “disappointing” that the government had focused “once again, solely on housing numbers”. Claire Dutch, partner and co-head of planning and environment law at law firm Ashurst, said: “A modern and efficient planning system continues to be seen as the panacea to cure the housing crisis, kick-start the economy and promote levelling up. Whether a fundamental restructuring of the planning system will achieve all that is debatable.” Dutch noted the 44,000 responses to the controversial Planning White Paper, which noticeably excluded a commercial property focus in favour of housing delivery. The industry also bemoaned the lack of any mention of business rates reform in the speech. Melanie Leech, chief executive at the British Property Federation, said: “The pandemic has accelerated some of the changes in the way we use real estate – and emphasises the urgent need for the reform of this tax. A lower rate of tax, more frequent revaluations and an end to the system of downwards transitional relief, where businesses are still paying rates based on far outdated rental values, are desperately needed to support out town centres.”   To send feedback, e-mail emma.rosser@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmmaARosser or @estatesgazette Photo by Chris Jackson/AP/Shutterstock