The new government’s intention to strip back planning restrictions was made clear when King Charles said in his speech that his administration means to “get Britain building again”.    

At the state opening of Parliament Labour unveiled over 35 bills and draft bills, ranging from bringing rail services into public ownership to launching a national wealth fund to strengthen UK investment.  

But at the centre of this freeing up planning rules to build new homes and major infrastructure projects will be key to the government’s plans to boost business spending and foreign investment.  

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Labour aims to “take the brakes off Britain”.  

The administration adds it will aim to see “how, not if, homes and infrastructure are built – the major brakes on the planning system will be addressed to support sustainable growth”.  

The government plans to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years and restore local council mandatory housing targets.  

It aims to reform compulsory purchase compensation rules “to improve land assembly, speed up site delivery, and deliver housing, infrastructure, amenity, and transport benefits”.  

It will reclassify “poor quality” areas of the green belt as ‘grey belt’ land, allowing it to be developed.  

And appoint 300 new planning officers, costing £20m over five years.  

The speech also promised a Renters’ Rights Bill to give “greater rights and protections to people renting their homes, including ending no-fault evictions and reforming grounds for possession”.  

It also pledged a draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill, to tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rent charges, and ending unfair maintenance costs in private housing estates.   

Together chief commercial officer Ryan Etchells welcomes moves to free up planning restrictions.  

But Etchells adds: “The success of this policy rests on utilising the UK’s ‘grey belt’ although, as of yet, we don’t have a definition of what, where or how much of this exists.   

“Our own research has shown that at least 19% of the UK’s property professionals want more support with brownfield development, and so Labour’s focus on these sites, and those like them, should see more spades in the ground – further boosting supply and activity across the property industry.”    

On leasehold reform, the government will produce a draft bill, for consultation before being formally introduced as legislation.  

Residential Freehold Association director Mick Platt says: “We await further details of the government’s plans but welcome their recognition that there is more to be done to address the real concerns of leaseholders, such as rising service charges and the regulation of managing agents.  

“While we support proposals to enact the Law Commission’s recommendations, the government must ensure that any legislation does not retrospectively interfere with the legitimate investments of institutional investors, including professional freeholders and pension funds.”