Environmental and heritage offences

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Local authorities enforce legislation across a wide range of areas. This overview outlines content relevant to local authority enforcement of environmental and heritage offences within their jurisdiction.

Environmental crime

Practice Note: Local authorities—powers to investigate environmental crime explains the division of responsibility between local authorities (LAs) and the Environment Agency (EA) to investigate environmental offences. It explains the powers available to LAs for the investigation of environmental crime, offers practical advice for companies under investigation and highlights the offences that may be committed during the course of a criminal investigation for environmental offences.

Practice Note: An introductory guide to environmental criminal liability provides an introduction to criminal liability for environmental offences and the stages of the criminal process from pre-prosecution to sentencing. It highlights common environmental offences, explains the key principles of environmental liability including strict liability, corporate liability and liability of directors and senior managers and provides an overview of environmental crime enforcement for environmental breaches including the prosecution of environmental crime.

Practice Note: Conducting an investigation into environmental crime explains the issues lawyers need to think about when advising a client following a

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Latest Local Government News

JCSI publishes thirty-fifth report of Session 2024–26

The Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments (JCSI) has published its thirty-fifth report of session 2024–26. Ten instruments were drawn to the special attention of the House: the Marking of Retail Goods Regulations 2025, SI 2025/790, reported for unexpected use of enabling power due to unintended retrospective effect; the Online Safety Act 2023 (Fees Notification) Regulations 2025, SI 2025/747, for failure to comply with proper legislative practice by omitting access details for incorporated documents; the Electricity Act 1989 (Requirement of Consent for Solar Generating Stations) (England) Order 2025, SI 2025/762, for unjustifiable delay in laying before Parliament; the Road Vehicles (Type Approval) (Amendment) (No. 2), Regulations 2025, SI 2025/796, for defective drafting in one respect; the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025, SI 2025/797, for failure to comply with proper legislative practice by not citing consultation under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); the Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2025, SI 2025/850, for doubt as to whether it is intra vires in one respect; the Childcare Payments (Eligibility) (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2025, SI 2025/857, for defective drafting. The Committee also reported three Orders made under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006: the Isle of Man Order 2025, SI 2025/824, the Jersey Order 2025 SI 2025/825, and the Guernsey Order 2025 SI 2025/827, each for doubt as to vires arising from incorrect citation of enabling powers.

MHCLG publishes guidance on Awaab's Law timeframes for social housing repairs

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published updated non-statutory guidance to help social landlords understand their responsibilities under Awaab's Law. The guidance relates to the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025, which come into force on 27 October 2025 and covers timeframes for repairs in the social rented sector in England.

DHSC announces Liberty Protection Safeguards consultation for first

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced a consultation on Liberty Protection Safeguards to be launched in the first half of 2026, jointly run with the Ministry of Justice. The consultation will seek views from families, carers and practitioners including social workers, nurses, psychologists and occupational therapists. Responses will inform a final Mental Capacity Act (2005) Code of Practice to be laid in Parliament. The revised Code of Practice will incorporate changes in case law, legislation, organisational structures, terminology and good practice since 2007, addressing challenges in the existing Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards framework. The announcement comes as the Supreme Court reviews what constitutes deprivation of liberty in a case from Northern Ireland, with the UK government granted permission to intervene. The current system has a backlog of 123,790 individuals and the proposed Liberty Protection Safeguards aim to streamline processes, reduce intrusive assessments and focus on the most vulnerable people. The last consultation on this topic occurred in 2022 without resulting in changes.

Education Committee urges government not to cut Universal Credit for care leavers

The House of Commons Education Committee has urged ministers not to reduce Universal Credit support for care leavers aged under-22, following the Department for Education's (DfE) response to the Committee's children's social care report. The government stated 'no decisions have been made yet' on proposed Universal Credit cuts for under-22s, with any savings intended for the new Youth Guarantee scheme. The DfE committed to consulting the Committee on potential profit caps for children's services providers and agreed to pilot co-located mental health services for looked after children. The government rejected several recommendations including a National Care Offer and national workforce strategy, while confirming it will consult young people during the Timms Review on Personal Independence Payments reform.

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