Part four: key construction and engineering insights from the King’s Speech 2026 – housing and building safety

May 2026

Kayleigh Rhodes

The King’s Speech 2026 and accompanying briefing papers provides information on the UK government’s aims, priorities and upcoming legislative agenda, including further proposals across housing and building safety. [1] Several of the measures announced earlier this month are expected to have direct implications for the housing and construction and engineering sectors, alongside broader economic impacts for the wider country.

In this final update, we highlight the key developments relating to the government’s housing ambitions and building safety regime, focusing on issues relevant to developers, contractors, consultants and their insurers. Given the continued evolution of the building safety regime and requirements, these are critical areas to monitor as further detail on the proposed legislation is published.

Housing and building safety

Attention has been given to progressing the remediation of unsafe cladding on residential buildings, particularly in view of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and subsequent public inquiry. Our earlier articles provide more information on the Remediation Acceleration Plan and case law decisions dealing with remediation orders and remediation contribution orders for example.

The King’s Speech 2026 made specific reference to bringing forward a new Remediation Bill. It is intended to accelerate the remediation of unsafe cladding, with significant deadlines and a number of important implications for those involved in the design, construction and refurbishment of residential buildings (and their insurers).

According to the briefing notes accompanying the Speech, the Bill is expected to include a number of key measures:

Requiring construction product manufacturers to contribute to remediation costs. Developers, contractors and others who have already funded buildings safety works are also expected to gain a clearer route to recover those costs from manufacturers, following the planned removal of technical legal barriers that have historically prevented such claims.
Equipping regulators with stronger powers to compel action.
Introducing a new legal duty requiring those responsible for building safety (i.e. freeholders) to promptly identify risks, assess them and carry out necessary remedial works. It is possible that we may see further consequences, including criminal prosecution, for the most egregious and severe failures.
Introducing and mandating how external wall assessments are conducted, to ensure a nationally consistent approach to remediation work.
Creating a register of medium-rise buildings between 11–18 metres requiring remediation.
Implementing a remediation ‘backstop’ to allow a third party, i.e. Homes England, to step in and carry out remediation work where necessary (and recover costs), ensuring residents have a route to remediation.
Updating existing legislation to protect residents and guarantee a remediation route even where ownership is absent, unclear or negligent.

Although the Bill is tabled for England and Wales, many of its proposals are limited to England, and so businesses will need to check the position in other parts of the UK. For more detail on the above and the potential impact on risk management and claims, please refer to our recent article here.

Alongside this, the government has signalled further housing reform in the UK, including legislation aimed at boosting long-term investment in and delivery of social housing through the Social Housing Renewal Bill, as well as proposed changes to ground rents under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

The full impact of these measures on housebuilding opportunities, facilities management contracts, and commercial arrangements remains to be seen. However, this all sits alongside other ambitious housebuilding targets and recent changes to planning and building control processes.

Sector-specific implications

The Speech signals a range of developments and potential opportunities relevant to contractors, consultants and wider industry stakeholders. For example, we have seen consultations and announcements coming from the UK government concerning building safety and construction products reform more generally over recent months. Other measures and wider economic reforms may also have implications for construction and engineering businesses, as well as the sectors they operate in.

The detailed scope and substance of the proposed legislation are yet to be published and debated, so construction and engineering businesses will need to keep a close watch as the Bills progress through Parliament and assess the potential impact on their operations, projects and contractual or governance arrangements.

In anticipation of such future changes coming into effect, businesses may wish to take preliminary steps to review their contracts, as well as associated governance, risk management and payment procedures. This will help ensure businesses are well positioned for upcoming legal and regulatory developments and able to manage associated risks. Early awareness and preparation should also assist greater agility when responding to future opportunities in the residential space.

Please contact Kayleigh Rhodes (general enquiries) or Jo Lewis and Michael Salau (building safety) for further information on the items and developments explored above. You can also find more information relating to construction law and building safety on our website.

More information

This marks the final instalment in our latest mini‑series on the key developments and opportunities for the construction, engineering and infrastructure sectors arising from the King’s Speech 2026. Beale & Co will continue to monitor these changes and provide updates on their implications for current and future projects, contracts and market practice as further detail emerges.

To receive further insights on these themes, please sign up to our mailing list. In the meantime, the earlier updates in this mini‑series can be accessed here: