King Charles has given his annual speech for 2026 in which several bills have been put forward to support both airport expansion and the construction of transport infrastructure.
The speech reopens parliament after its recess but is also used as an opportunity to talk about what the UK can expect from the next term of government.
This year’s speech included many welcome signs for the built environment.
“The United Kingdom’s economic security depends upon world class infrastructure,” said King Charles.
“Legislation will be introduced to unlock the benefits of airport expansion [Civil Aviation Bill]; enable roads to be built at pace including the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) [Highways (Financing) Bill]; and deliver a fair deal for the North of England through Northern Powerhouse Rail [Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill].
“My ministers will continue to take all action necessary to safeguard the domestic production of steel [Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill].”
Earlier this week, UK Steel said it welcomes the nationalisation of British Steel.
The Civil Aviation Bill will aim to create new authorisations for airports to allot take-off and landing slots. Downing Street believes this will support airport expansion in the light of recent proposals to grow Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted airports, among others.
The Highways (Financing) Bill will extend current funding models used for nuclear and water projects to the construction of highways. The Regulated Asset Base (RAB) funding model was used to fund the construction of Thames Tideway and will be used for Sizewell C’s construction. This new bill will allow private finance to be leveraged under RAB for the £10bn plan to build LTC (image above is a render of the proposed road and tunnel), dubbed the “UK’s longest road tunnel”.
The Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill will aim to outline the new proposed rail route from Manchester to Millington via Manchester Airport, a revised version of the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill, first put forward in 2022, which was due to allow the construction of that section of HS2.
“My government will improve critical infrastructure with legislation to clean-up the water industry [Clean Water Bill] and establish Great British Railways [Railways and Passenger Benefits Bill],” King Charles continued.
Plans for the Clean Water Bill have previously been put forward by the government.
In January, the government set out what it describes as a “once‑in‑a‑generation” overhaul of England’s water sector.
While this was detailed in a separate white paper, the Clean Water Bill will specifically see the merging of the water sector’s current regulators, including Ofwat. The government hopes this will end the fragmentation of regulation afforded to the water sector.
King Charles also said: “My ministers believe that energy independence must be a long-term goal of national security and that the nation’s energy security requires long-term investment and reform, as demonstrated by recent events in the Middle East.
“Increased production of clean British energy will help to ensure that enemies of the United Kingdom cannot attack the economic security of the British people.
“My ministers will therefore introduce an Energy Independence Bill to scale-up homegrown renewable energy and protect living standards for the long-term [Energy Independence Bill].
“[They] will also take forward recommendations of the Nuclear Regulatory Review and encourage a new era of British nuclear energy generation [Nuclear Regulation Bill].”
The government announced plans to make a number of regulatory changes to consenting new nuclear developments in response to the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce’s recommendations in March.
The paper, Building Our Nuclear Nation Government Response to the Nuclear Regulatory Review 2025, followed a report by the independent Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce chaired by economist John Fingleton in November last year which concluded the current regulatory architecture was “overly complex”.
Industry reaction
A number of key stakeholders have come out in support of King Charles’ speech and the many bills he has put forward that will aim to benefit the construction of infrastructure.
ACE
Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) chief executive Milda Manomaityte said: “This year’s King’s Speech has been delivered against a politically difficult backdrop for the Labour Government: tight fiscal headroom, weak growth and rising expectations for visible delivery before the next general election, and a difficult set of local elections for the government.
Against that context, it is welcome that the legislative programme tightly focuses on accelerating infrastructure and housing delivery, unlocking private investment, and streamlining regulation and planning to prioritise delivery.
The Energy Independence Bill in particular sends a strong signal of long-term commitment to building a secure, homegrown energy supply, unlocking a significant pipeline of projects across renewables, grid infrastructure, storage and low-carbon technologies for ACE members. A resilient domestic energy supply cannot rest on renewables alone though. It requires a clean, mixed energy portfolio built for long-term security.
We also welcome plans to overhaul the water sector. The Clean Water Bill should drive demand for specialist expertise in areas such as wastewater treatment, nature-based solutions, flood resilience and catchment management, areas where UK consultancies are globally recognised leaders.
Finally, the absence of new transport announcements should not overshadow the sustained commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail, the Lower Thames Crossing, and airport expansion. For industry, continuity is confidence, and confidence drives delivery. The task now is to translate that backing into action, breaking the cycle of delay that has hindered major infrastructure in Britain.”
NIA
Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) chief executive Tom Greatrex said: “The government is right to push ahead with a more proportionate regulatory framework to make nuclear projects faster and less expensive to build.
“Recent global events are a reminder that long-term investment in domestic clean power is a national priority.
“Countries around the world are moving quickly to strengthen their energy independence through new nuclear, and the UK must do the same if it wants secure, reliable electricity, lower exposure to volatile gas markets and thousands of high-skilled industrial jobs.”
Mott MacDonald
Mott MacDonald transport manager director for UK and Europe Tony O’Toole said: “The direction set out today signals a clear intent to keep the UK building and modernising its transport networks.
“Unlocking airport expansion, progressing key road schemes like Lower Thames Crossing and delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail will be vital to improving connectivity and driving growth across regions. Alongside this, rail reform through Great British Railways provides the foundation for a more integrated and customer-focused rail network.
“Ultimately, the test will be in how quickly this translates into delivery on the ground and we look forward to playing our part in turning ambition into reality.”
While Mott MacDonald water consultancy development manager Keith Macpherson said: “The plans for the Clean Water Bill mark a significant step towards stronger environmental performance and long-term resilience across the water sector. The Bill presents an opportunity to scale up nature-based solutions and embed whole-life outcomes alongside traditional infrastructure investment to deliver transformational change.
“Realising this potential will call for earlier engagement with multidisciplinary design teams, ensuring that engineering, environmental, digital and operational expertise are brought together from the outset.
“Careful transition planning will be essential to maintain momentum during the current investment cycle while continuing to deliver the commitments to improved outcomes for communities and ecosystems.”
Mott MacDonald managing director of energy for UK and Europe Claudio Tassistro said: “It’s encouraging to see the UK government’s commitment to long-term energy independence and clean power reinforced. The intention to act on the Fingleton recommendations to streamline the construction of nuclear power plants is the most significant reset of the UK’s nuclear regulatory system in more than 20 years.
“These reforms have the potential to materially reduce both the cost and delivery timeline of new nuclear, which is critical to achieving net zero and energy security. We are already working closely with our clients, regulators and key stakeholders to implement these recommendations.
“The Energy Independence Bill will strengthen the country’s energy mix by balancing reliability, affordability and sustainability.”
Stantec
Stantec UK&I regional business lead for energy John Ord said: “It was important the industry heard an emphasis on energy security in the King’s Speech today.
“Our energy sector acts as the UK’s beating heart and its ability to evolve is integral to economic growth and resilience.
“The government’s commitment to scale up domestic low carbon energy generation in the long-term is of course welcome, and pushing forward with nuclear power is such an important piece of this puzzle, whether it’s from SMRs or large-scale plants.
“But so too is driving our energy storage capabilities and upgrading the grid at pace to meet rising power demands from data centres and the integration of renewables.
“These are immediate, monumental challenges we need to address. The industry needs delivery to rapidly accelerate and build capacity if it is to meet the Government’s level of ambition.
“The adoption of the recommendations of the Nuclear Regulatory Review, and the progress of the Energy Independence Bill, will be crucial enablers of this, and we look forward to seeing these develop quickly so we can further strengthen our energy security and support the country’s transition to net zero.”
ECIU
Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) head of energy Jess Ralston said: “The government is sticking with clean power as its solution to two energy crises in a matter of years, in line with the International Energy Agency’s recommendations and the British public who see investing in renewables as the solution to less dependence on Trump and the Middle East as North Sea oil and gas output continues its inevitable decline.
“Households are increasingly voting with their feet as installations of net zero technologies like solar, EVs and heat pumps have taken off in response to higher prices. Increasingly this surge towards electrifying homes will be powered by clean British renewables.
“There are now even clearer divides between political parties on the UK’s energy future, with the Government bringing in a ban on fracking compared to Reform which aligns more with Trump on wanting to frack across Lancashire and Lincolnshire.
“This puts them at odds with the British public for whom fracking is one of the most unpopular energy sources and even Reform-led local councils that are less than keen given voter opposition.”
Urban Transport Group
Urban Transport Group director Jason Prince said: “The King’s Speech demonstrates the government’s continued commitment to transforming transport over the course of the next Parliament.
“Government has already made great strides on improving connectivity through new legislation, such as on buses and devolution, but there is more to be done to unlock the true potential that transport offers to both our local and national ambitions.
“The legislative programme outlined today is the next step towards achieving this, especially legislation to reform the taxi and private hire vehicle sector, and to continue rail reform through the Railways and Passenger Benefits Bill.
“Our member transport authorities look forward to continuing to work hand in hand with government to deliver improved transport services for our local communities.”
Rics
A Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) spokesperson said: “It was great to see the built and natural environment feature prominently in the King’s Speech, with a number of important measures that have the potential to support economic growth and improve outcomes for communities across the UK.
“It was also encouraging to see commitments on major infrastructure projects through the Civil Aviation Bill, Highways (Financing) Bill and Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill, recognising the vital role infrastructure plays in supporting the wider economy.
“Rics also welcomes further action to support residents living in buildings with unsafe cladding, and delivering meaningful reforms for leaseholders.
“Delivering on these ambitions will require close collaboration between government and industry, as well as the professional expertise needed to turn policy into practical outcomes. Rics continues to work with the UK Government to drive forward crucial measures that will improve the built and natural environment and outcomes for professionals and consumers.”
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