Government to deliver on housing pledges, Queen's Speech confirms

These will include measures to "increase transparency around the control of land, to 'free up more land for new homes in the right places, speed up build-out by encouraging modern methods of construction and diversify who builds homes in the country'", as set out in the 'white paper' on housing reform published earlier this year, according to documents published to coincide with the state opening of parliament.

A bill will also be introduced to ban "unfair" tenant fees in England, while a consultation will be published on measures to improve transparency and fairness for leaseholders, according to the Queen's Speech.

Planning law expert Kate Brock of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said that the industry could now expect to see the publication of a number of consultations promised in the white paper. These include one on assessed housing requirements and introducing a standardised approach to objectively assessed need, anticipated for autumn.

"We anticipate that the government response to the main consultation issued alongside the white paper should also be published swiftly, setting out the changes the government intends to make to national planning policy to give effect to its proposals," she said.

"These include the presumption that brownfield land is suitable for housing development 'unless there are clear and specific reasons to the contrary'; a 'housing delivery test'; and an expanded definition of 'affordable housing'. The revised Starter Homes Regulations and related policy and guidance should also now come forward," she said.

The government also intends to bring forward a Space Industry Bill, with the intention of making the UK the most attractive place in Europe for commercial spaceflight. The UK space sector has been growing at a rate of 8% annually over the last decade, and the government is targeting a 10% share of the global space economy by 2030, according to supporting documentation published alongside the Queen's Speech.

The bill would give the government new powers to license a wide range of new commercial spaceflight including vertically-launched rockets, 'spaceplanes', commercial satellites, spaceports and other technologies; backed by a "comprehensive and proportionate" regulatory framework to ensure that UK commercial spaceflight remains safe. This regulatory framework would also cover operational insurance, indemnity and liability. The bill would also tackle regulating unauthorised access and interference with spacecraft and associated infrastructure.

"The space industry represents a huge opportunity for the UK, with potentially significant economic benefits," said planning law expert Mike Pocock of Pinsent Masons. "The reality of spaceflight from the UK is closer than many think, and there is currently momentum to develop a number of 'spaceports' which will be critical infrastructure if the UK is to be able to send satellites as well as, potentially, space tourists into space."

"Applications for grant funding by potential spaceports and operators were made earlier this year to UK Space, and the results of these are expected later this summer. The timing of the announcement in the Queen's Speech therefore could not be better. These are exciting times for the UK space industry," he said.