In the most recent King’s Speech (07 November 2023), King Charles presented his first formal reading of the laws intended to be passed through parliament over the coming year.
In terms of UK construction, particular attention will be directed towards the declarations pertaining to housing, with affordable housing remaining a persistent concern in the United Kingdom for an extended period.
The recent controversy was stoked earlier this week when Home Secretary Suella Braverman labelled homelessness as a 'lifestyle choice,' unveiling intentions to prohibit charitable organisations from distributing tents to those living on the streets.
Lee Bloomfield, chief executive of Bradford-based Manningham Housing Association, expressed disapproval regarding the absence of a concrete pledge regarding affordable housing, stating that housing associations “cannot do this alone; the government must take the lead.”
“The present administration stopped any pretense that building new homes was a priority when it ditched its target of building 300,000 homes every year, essentially casting housing associations and deprived neighbourhoods in places like Bradford and Keighley adrift.
“By doing so, it chose to snatch away opportunities for better lives that people of all ages living there deserve.
“The absence of any renewed commitment in the King’s Speech to build more new affordable homes is desperately disappointing but, in the wake of Suella Braverman’s crass and heartless comments, not in the least bit surprising.”
Lauren Fraser, senior associate, Charles Russell Speechlys, questioned the relevance of leasehold reforms in the speech: “Given the focus on reforms to leasehold in the lead up to the King’s Speech, the lack of detail we have seen today regarding the plans is surprising.
“These proposals are based on an underlying presumption that a radical overhaul of the system is required, which is an oversimplification of a very complex issue.
“…Having said this, leasehold is already one of the most highly regulated areas of the law with many and varied protections for leaseholders and there are plans afoot to give similar protections to freehold owners in relation to estate management charges. This begs the question as to whether Commonhold provides a solution to the perceived problems.”
Sean Keyes, managing director of Sutcliffe, responded: “Everyone in the UK deserves to live in a decent, quality home; there should be nobody living in a mouldy or cold home, and it should be big enough to support the size of the family living in it.
“In reality, this means we need to build more homes, just as the government has promised to do so. Not only is this a significant benefit to the construction sector, but also for UK society in general.
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