RICS reflects on Royal Assent of the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill

Article summary

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) confirms that the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA 2023) will create significant opportunities for the built environment helping to unlock some of the UK's challenges in delivering new housing, regenerating high streets and bringing vacant properties back to life. However, RICS notes that one significant omission, that the government had intended to include, is the relaxation of nutrient pollution rules that have resulted in an estimated 150,000 homes being blocked in the planning system. RICS confirms that, amongst other matters, the UK needs a push to build greener, more energy-efficient homes that significantly limit resulting pollution and that LURA 2023 presents an opportunity to set out a long-term vision for sustainable house building in the UK, including the government defining how future housing needs will be determined.