A central theme of the legislative programme is the prime minister鈥檚 mantra of 鈥榖uild back鈥︹��, with promises to 鈥榖uild back stronger鈥�, 鈥榖uild back fairer, 鈥榖uild back greener, 鈥榖uild back safer鈥�, etc.
Much of the proposed legislation had been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic consuming government's attention, but the cost of dealing with the virus has only added impetus to the need to 'build back'.
The Planning Bill is the government鈥檚 much discussed drive to simplify the planning system for the benefit of developers, to get more homes and more infrastructure built more quickly. Local authorities will have to designate land according to three bands, which might be crudely categorised as: 鈥榥o way鈥�, 鈥榯alk to us鈥�, and 鈥榮ure, go ahead and build鈥�.
The Building Safey Bill will, if passed, enact recommendations of the Hackitt report, commissioned in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. It will establish the Building Safety Regulator, establish a new framework to provide national oversight of construction products, establish a new homes ombudsman and introduce a levy on developers of tall buildings to pay for the removal of unsafe cladding.
The Procurement Bill is designed to simplify procurement in the public sector now that the UK is no longer subject to EU public procurement directives. It would make it easier for public bodies to give contracts to preferred suppliers 鈥� those who satisfy specified political outcomes beyond the remit of the contract 鈥� regardless of price. The government promises that everything will be much simpler and more transparent than currently.
The High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill will, assuming MPs continue to back the project, provide the powers to build and operate the next stage of the HS2 network from Crewe to Manchester. However, there was no mention of the planned leg to Leeds.
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