In the first State Opening of Parliament under this government, The King’s Speech unveiled over 35 bills and draft bills which will support delivery of the government’s first steps and missions to rebuild Britain.
The package of bills will focus on growing the economy through better transport, more jobs and turbocharging building of houses and infrastructure – helping to make every part of the country better off.
Carolin Göhler FLI, President, Landscape Institute, said: “The Landscape Institute (LI) supports the government’s emphasis on growth and welcomes its proposals to reform the planning system, provided that all new development is well-designed, constructed and managed to ensure its sustainability and fitness for future generations to enjoy.
“In meeting challenging targets for both housing and infrastructure, we should be taking a long-term view of costs and consequences, and ensure that the wider environment is properly valued. Taking a landscape-led approach to both plans and projects can help enable opportunities, avoid unexpected adversities, and provide better value solutions.
“New construction presents opportunities to embed natural elements and systems that can respond positively to the climate and biodiversity emergencies, and contribute to people’s health and well-being. Land is a finite resource, and our planning system should seek to make best use of it by setting high quality standards, not only for buildings but also for the treatment of spaces between and around them in urban, rural and Green Belt areas.
“Strategic planning at a regional, landscape scale will respond to wider environmental constraints and opportunities to guide and deliver more genuinely sustainable development. Site allocations in plans should include areas for nature restoration as well as construction proposals. National land use planning policies should promote the delivery of multi-functional green infrastructure networks and assets, and establish the principle of all new development contributing to these.
“At project level, the planning system (and building regulations) should ensure that all new developments, especially housing, are well-designed and incorporate the best available standards of energy efficiency and climate resilience. Ambitious house-building targets should ensure that new homes are not simply providing accommodation but are attractive, efficient and healthy places in which people can thrive. Amongst other considerations, that means including access for all to green spaces, promoting urban tree management strategies and using nature-based systems to help favourably manage water, microclimates and pollution. To progress this, development at all scales should incorporate a proportionate contribution to ensure green infrastructure quality.
“The LI recognises the need to expedite improvements to our creaking infrastructure, notably in transport, energy, water and drainage. The potential adverse impacts of major schemes, and how these may be avoided or managed, must be properly considered, particularly in view of rural landscapes. However, large-scale developments may also present opportunities and unlock funding for beneficial enhancements beyond operational objectives in terms of better land management, nature recovery and ecosystem services. A more collaborative and holistic approach to project management between government departments and between developers and planning authorities – through early engagement of landscape professionals to develop multi-functional landscapes – could bring dividends in terms of cost, time and the quality of outcomes to benefit people and nature. It may also reduce opposition and enable the swifter delivery of better quality schemes.
“The proposal to increase the numbers of public sector planners is welcome, but there is also a real need to invest in a range of new green skills in landscape, ecology and construction to contribute to creating environments that work for people and nature. There is a significant skills shortage in both the delivery and management side of landscape, so we urge the government to positively support and promote the education and training of sector skills at university and college level. We need to manage change with sensitivity and expertise in ways that should meet the needs and wishes of present and future generations. Members of the Landscape Institute look forward to responding to this challenge.”
Several bills indicated in the speech will impact or provide an opportunity for UK environmental horticulture, including; planning, net-zero transition and retail crime.
UK Horticulture is a green growth industry that helps to deliver on crucial government ambitions, from economic to environmental, from net-zero to health and well-being. As a sector supporting nearly 700,000 jobs and £28.8 billion in GDP contributions, it must not be overlooked as a key UK business sector.
Fran Barnes, Chief Executive of the HTA, commented: “The King’s Speech is the first clear indicator of the immediate legislative priorities of this new Government and we await the full details of the ambitions announced.
“While we see a growth agenda being pursued, as a sector, we can support the government to deliver on its ambitions. Environmental horticulture is a uniquely positioned industry, with significant potential for growth, delivering a stronger economy, biodiverse flora production to mitigate climate change, flooding and air pollution, greening urban areas and new developments, an increase in mental and physical health benefits and provide an exciting industry to start an apprenticeship or green career. I am really encouraged by the potential that our sector has.
“We share the ambition to speed up planning as our businesses seek to grow, develop, and embed green space planning and maintenance from day one of designing the homes and urban green areas of our future.
“With an ambition to build 1.5million new homes, we urge the government to set out how developments should incorporate at least 29.5% space for garden density to maintain the current proportion of Britain’s urban residential gardens.
“We welcome the statement to “seek to reset the relationship with European partners and work to improve the UK's trade and investment relationship with the European Union”. The HTA continue to raise concerned over our member’s ability to import plant goods from the continent. We are calling on the government to ensure a veterinary and plant health agreement with the EU is a priority.
“The HTA have long called for apprenticeship levy reform and we are encouraged by the potential of the new Skills England body – we look forward to environmental horticulture being a prominent part of this so that the next generation of environmental horticulturalists will have clear skills, experience and career paths.
“In regards to employment reform, we are seeking for the government to be mindful of such impacts on SMEs (the vast majority of our membership) and their ability to run businesses that can flourish in local communities.
“Other legislative areas announced, include retail crime, terrorism prevention for large retail spaces, water and energy, are all critical issues impacting horticulture businesses. From retail theft, water resilience challenges to energy security, these all present huge costs to businesses across the sector. We look forward to engaging in the details of the legislation for the industry. We must see the sector to be supported in the transition to net zero. We are ready to help deliver on the ambition and mission to grow.”
APSE welcomes the investment-based plans in the King's Speech including housing, clean energy and expanding the scope of devolution. However, the other side of the summer will mean the Chancellor’s spending plans, and a comprehensive spending review, must genuinely include a strategy for growth in public services. Austerity not only constrained public spending but led to higher levels of debt and stymied growth.
Responding to the plans, APSE Chief Executive, Mo Baines, said, “An ambitious agenda for growth must recognise the entrepreneurial ability of the local state. That means a fiscal policy which views investment in public services as investment in growth.
“Whilst there is some positivity for public services in the King's Speech, it is only the opening gambit in a much longer battle which must succeed in making the case for public service investment in both capital and revenue terms.”
