The Queen's Speech 2015 – Key Announcements For The Environment, Planning And Energy Sectors

The Queen's Speech delivered to both Houses of Parliament on 27 May 2015 marked the Conservative Government's first opportunity to outline its key reforms aimed at delivering the mandate it received at this month's General Election.

The Government's priorities will be delivered through a number of new Bills as follows.

Housing

The new Housing Bill will introduce a statutory register for brownfield land, which is intended to help bring forward new housing schemes. The Government will seek to achieve the target of having Local Development Orders in place on 90% on suitable brownfield sites by 2020.

The introduction of a statutory register for brownfield land was last proposed by Margaret Thatcher's Government in the early 1990s. It was dropped after protests from the property industry on the basis that land on such a register could be blighted. Paradoxically, therefore, this could have the unintended effect of holding back new housing schemes. We...