New Government, new programme: Today’s King’s Speech sees the new Government outline their legislative priorities for the coming session of Parliament. In total, 39 bills and draft bills were announced – a packed legislative programme to squeeze into the next year. What are some of the main take aways for London?
Last Train to London: Commitments to create Great British Railways and bring into public ownership the operation of the railways poses questions about how that and the desire to devolve control of commuter rail to TfL will work in practice.
Royal London: Legislation needed to deliver a Holocaust Memorial in Victoria Gardens survives the change of government and a Crown Estate Bill looks to give more power to the body to borrow money to invest in contributing towards green energy generation and housebuilding.
These Dreams: The English Devolution Bill appears, on the face of it, rather disappointing for London. Proposed new powers would bring devolved authorities beyond the M25 up to the level of the Mayor of London, rather than a more much ambitious settlement that would also see more decentralisation of power from Whitehall to City Hall and London’s boroughs.
We Built This City: Many of the big flagship planning reforms, such as reinstating housing targets and reviewing of Green Belt, will come from a revised National Planning Policy Framework, a consultation on which is promised by the end of July.
Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now: Nevertheless, Sadiq Khan responded by describing the King’s Speech as ‘refreshing’ and a ‘significant change of approach after years of London being held back’ - words which could mask how much harder it is to publicly express unhappiness when your own side is in charge!
Resurrection: The Renters Reform Bill is revived, after dying a death in the wash up at the end of the last government. This would abolish no fault evictions, but go further than the Conservative bill by introducing a right to challenge excessive rent increases and spreading Awaab’s Law to the private rental sector. Leasehold reform is also back – in the form of a draft bill for now – suggesting the Government is seeking further consultation on their plans to implement in full the Law Commission recommendations. But as with the Renters Reform Bill, the new Government is committed to going further than the last government.
Rayner’s Gain: As well as the King’s Speech, Labour’s promised blizzard of early activity is seeking to attempt to unlock stalled development and kickstart housebuilding. Straight out of the traps, Secretary of State at the renamed Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner recovered two planning appeals for data centres in the Green Belt in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, one of which was reported to have originally been refused because it might ruin the view from the motorway’s bridges.
Rayner’s Crane: Another early test for Rayner will be what to do about Marks & Spencer’s plans for their Oxford Street store. Rayner’s predecessor Michael Gove originally refused permission for the demolition and redevelopment but this was ruled unlawful in March. Will she remove any remaining hurdles and allow the go ahead?
London’s calling: Keen watchers will be waiting to see what the new Government does on a number of fronts relating to London. First up, the inherited direction by Gove of the London Plan – will Angela Rayner cancel what was widely seen at the time as a politically-motivated move? No doubt Sadiq Khan will be hoping so.
Car parked: Will the new government lift the threat to TfL’s plans to develop tube station car parks? The previous government deployed clauses in the GLA Act originally designed to stop the tube being privatised to thwart TfL’s plans for homes on car parks in north London. Again, City Hall will be hoping for a quick green light from new Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh so Places for London can push ahead.
Off beam: City Hall will be looking for funding for key infrastructure that unlocks building new homes. Beam Park in Havering where thousands of new homes are in the pipeline, predicated on a new railway station, ran into difficulty because of uncertainty over the funding for the infrastructure. Might a solution be forthcoming?
Sadiq’s Shopping List: Also City Hall will be looking to Government for funding for the DLR extension to Thamesmead, the West London Orbital and the Bakerloo Line Extension – or, at the very least, money to keep development of the schemes alive.
Louise Vague: As well as more clarity on devolving commuter rail services to London, the Mayor and other stakeholders will be seeking more information on Euston given the stalled major redevelopment of the station and the mothballing of the HS2 tunnelling from Old Oak Common. With former Network Rail Chair Lord Peter Hendy now a transport minister and former Camden Council leader Georgia Gould a minister, might we expect movement soon?
Below the belt: It is reported that Rayner will write to local councils instructing them to conduct reviews of Green Belt boundaries to identify potential ‘Grey Belt’ suitable for new development. With the Mayor previously opposing building on Green Belt in his 2016 and 2021 manifestos (although, noticeably, not in his 2024 manifesto), and having come to blows with some councils wishing to de-designate Green Belt in the past, watching how this plays out in London given the new political order will be fascinating to watch. Perhaps Khan’s approval of 300 homes on Green Belt just this week is a sign of the new world order?
Rayner’s Strain: With two major planning decisions looming for City Hall (the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon and Springfield Hospital, Tooting), might the cover afforded by a more interventionist Labour Secretary of State spur on City Hall to be more bold in granting permissions?
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