Wednesday 17 July: The new Labour Government put economic growth at the heart of its legislative agenda in the King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament.

There were 39 potential new laws proposed that the Government wants to pass but what are the opportunities and challenges for HOLBA members?  Here are the key bills likely to impact the West End either directly or indirectly:

A Planning and Infrastructure Bill will seek to simplify the process for approving key infrastructure projects and increase the number of homes built each year by speeding up the time it takes to get planning permission.

The new Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a ban on “ninja swords”, crack down on shoplifting and people involved in harassment and drinking alcohol in public spaces.

An English Devolution Bill will give mayors and other local leaders more say over economic decisions including on transport and jobs.

The Great British Energy Bill will establish GB Energy to invest in clean energy and a National Wealth Fund Bill will set up a new fund to invest £7.3bn over five years in infrastructure and green industry.

A Passenger Railway Services Bill will seek to bring all rail franchises back under government control when private contracts expire with the aim of boosting connectivity.

A Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill will primarily target residential leaseholders, but the reforms could indirectly affect commercial property as changes in leasehold valuation methods or the overall perception of leasehold property might influence commercial lease negotiations and property values.

An Employment Rights Bill will ban companies imposing zero-hour contracts, outlaw fire and rehire tactics and strengthen workers’ rights by providing parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal to all workers. The national minimum wage will also be raised to a “genuine living wage”.

Other key measures include replacing the Apprenticeship Levy with a new Skills Levy in order to create more of a connection between employers, unions, education and training providers and the Government will focus on improving energy efficiency in buildings, including commercial properties.

We can expect to see consultations on these and other measures mentioned in the King’s Speech in due course.

Image credit: @gov.uk