King’s Speech 2024 - the key provisions for Welsh social housing

King Charles III reads the King's Speech, written by the government, at the State Opening of Parliament 2024. Copyright House of Lords 2024 / Photography by Roger Harris ©

King Charles has made his first speech since Labour took office, following the 2024 general election.

Outlining the government’s policies and proposed legislation for the new parliamentary session, the king shared several significant plans for UK housing.

Most notably for Welsh housing associations, this includes:

• a planning and infrastructure bill, which announces fundamental changes to the planning system, to help unlock developments and aid the delivery of private and social homes;

• a renters rights bill - new legislation to ensure that the private rented sector provides secure homes for those who need it;

• a draft leasehold and commonhold reform bill;

• plans to strengthen relationships with devolved powers across the UK, including Wales with the hope to improve collaboration between countries.

This King’s Speech also marks the start of a partnership approach between UK Labour and Welsh Labour. We are already seeing an alignment on planning policy, with Welsh Labour recently announcing the introduction of a new bill to consolidate and simplify the system by the end of the Senedd term.

Although powers to amend housing and planning policies in Wales are devolved, we expect that Welsh Government will continue to consider how some of these bills and provisions could be helpfully applied here.

Download our briefing for more details on these and other measures that will be applicable to the social housing sector in Wales.