On Tuesday 10th May, the Queen’s Speech was delivered by Prince Charles at the opening of Parliament. The speech included many points relating to construction. Paramount Personnel has summed these up for you below.
Housing
A new Housing Bill has been proposed which will aim to promote fairness and transparency in the market, allowing more new houses to be built.
There is also a commitment to using modern methods when constructing new houses. With the UK commiting to reducing its carbon emissions to net-zeo by 2050, the speech gave a very basic outline as to how this will be achieved. Legislation is to be put in place, the aim of which will be to improve air and water quality, taking on plastic pollution and enable plants and wildlife to prosper. This will undoubtably put pressure on construction firms, who will have to have sustainability at the forefront of their minds. As to how this will be regulated, this is a little unclear.
Skills Shortage
The shortage of skills in the construction industry is an on-going critical issue. The Immigration Bill was briefly mentioned during the Brexit section of the speech. Again, not much detail was given away as to how the shortage will be tackled. It has left many in the sector feeling that the government is not doing anything to alleviate the problem. With the Immigration Bill ending free movement, no one really is sure what a post-Brexit immigration system will look like and where future workers will come from.
Independent Regulator for Building Safety
Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing called this “the biggest reform to the building safety regime in nearly 40 years”.
A new independent Building Safety Regulator will oversee contractors, designers and building owners’ compliance with safety regulations. After the Grenfell disaster, there will be a new safety framework for high-rise residential buildings. The aim of this will be to create a more definied accountability and duties when an appartment block is built. Stronger enforcement measures and sanctions will encourage compliance.
As things stand, when it comes to the finer details, it’s all a little unclear. Hopefully over the next few weeks or months, we will know more.
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