The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a consultation inviting views on proposals to extend the current UK REACH deadlines for businesses to submit dossiers for transitional registrations. The current deadlines are October 2026, October 2028 and October 2030. Three alternative deadlines are being proposed: (1) October 2029, October 2030, October 2031; (2) April 2029, April 2031, April 2033; or (3) April 2029, April 2030, April 2031. Option 1 is the government’s preferred option, as it allows time to finalise the design and implementation of the Alternative Transitional Registration model (ATRm), while providing industry with an estimated two-year transition period. The consultation also seeks input on proposals to extend the dates by which the Health and Safety Executive (the UK REACH agency) must complete compliance checks on 20% of registration dossiers. The consultation closes on 8 September 2025.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a consultation, seeking views on proposed approaches to simplify funding for new flood resilience and coastal erosion projects, as well as on how these projects should be prioritised. Key proposals include: (1) introducing a contribution free allowance, with the first £3m of project costs fully funded by the government; (2) applying a flat rate of 90% Defra funding for costs exceeding £3m; and (3) fully funding projects aimed at refurbishing existing assets that currently struggle to secure funding. The approach will be launched in April 2026, alongside the Floods Investment Framework. It will apply to all new projects, as well as to those that are in delivery as of April 2026 and do not yet have contractual commitments for construction. The consultation also outlines plans to mainstream investment in natural flood management and optimise the use of property flood resilience measures, such as flood doors and smart air bricks. It further invites feedback on prioritising projects—either based on value for money or by applying weightings to support priority outcomes. The consultation closes on 29 July 2025.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a consultation on reforms to modernise the environmental permitting framework for industrial emissions in England. The proposals focus on enabling innovation, introducing agile standards, ensuring proportionate regulation and coherence in the permitting framework, improving regulator effectiveness and efficiency, and establishing a transparent permitting framework. The consultation proposes reforms such as a new registration approach for low‑risk installations, flexible permits that would set overall emission caps for individual sites and streamlined approvals for time-limited technology trials. These proposals follow the Corry Review’s findings on regulatory inefficiencies. The Environment Agency aims to implement changes that could reduce permit waiting times from months to days and reduce costs for businesses. The consultation will close on 21 October 2025. Defra has stated that feedback will inform policy development, with a further consultation planned on detailed policy proposals.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a consultation on a draft statutory instrument which will update the data that internal drainage boards use for the allocation of their costs to farmers and local authorities. The consultation aims to facilitate the expansion of internal drainage board boundaries and the creation of new internal drainage boards. The consultation closes on 19 April 2024.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a consultation on a proposed Land Use Framework for England. This Framework aims to support decision-making processes at both local and national levels, equipping decision-makers with the appropriate data and tools to protect prime agricultural land and improve food security. It seeks to assist farm businesses in maximising the potential of multi-functional land use, supporting long-term food production capacity while creating opportunities for private sector investment. The Framework also aims to balance competing land use demands, including housing development, clean energy infrastructure, and nature restoration. Defra will also consult on how data can be utilised in certain planning decisions to strengthen the resilience of the UK’s food system against flooding risks. The consultation closes on 25 April 2025, with the final Land Use Framework expected to be published in late 2025.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a consultation on reform of the Packaging Waste Recycling Note (PRN) system. Under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, SI 2024/1332, producers must meet their recycling obligations by obtaining PRNs or Packaging Waste Export Recycling Notes (PERNs) from accredited operators, with the system providing a key source of funding for recycling infrastructure. While the system has increased recycling rates, concerns have emerged regarding fraud and an uneven playing field between domestic reprocessors and exporters. The consultation closes on 5 May 2026.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a consultation on proposals to reduce emissions from domestic solid fuel burning across the UK. The consultation sets out that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) poses a serious risk to human health, contributing to cardiovascular and respiratory disease and premature death, with the greatest impacts on vulnerable groups. It identifies domestic burning of wood and manufactured solid fuels as a significant and increasing source of PM2.5, responsible for around 20% of UK emissions in 2023, and emphasises the need to address this source to reduce health impacts and the wider societal costs of air pollution.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Welsh Government have launched a consultation on proposed reforms to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013. The consultation seeks views on several proposals, including the removal of fixed bathing season dates to allow for more flexible monitoring, expansion of the legal definition of ‘bathers’ to include water sports participants, and the introduction of multiple testing points at bathing sites. It also proposes ending the automatic de-designation of sites after five consecutive ‘poor’ ratings, with regulators instead conducting individual reviews. The consultation closes on 23 December 2024.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a consultation on proposed reforms to the WaterSure scheme, which caps water bills for low-income households with high essential water use due to a qualifying medical condition or having three or more children. The consultation seeks views on several proposals, including: (1) extending the list of qualifying benefits to include non-means tested disability benefits for those claiming through a qualifying medical condition; (2) updating the bill cap to reflect the average metered or unmetered bill (whichever is lower); (3) introducing a separate cap for single occupiers based on the average bill for a single occupier; (4) removing the option for water companies to require a medical practitioner’s note for health conditions not explicitly listed in the Water Industry (Charges) (Vulnerable Groups) (Consolidation) Regulations 2015, SI 2015/365; and (5) expanding the list of potentially qualifying medical conditions. The consultation closes on 1 September 2025.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a consultation to reform the regulatory framework governing sewage sludge application to agricultural land in England. The consultation invites stakeholders to provide feedback on three reform options. These options are: (1) revoking the existing sludge regulations and regulating sludge spreading through the Environmental Permitting Regulations, (2) updating the current sludge regulations and (3) altering standards through non-regulatory approaches. The consultation closes on 24 March 2026.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has opened a consultation seeking views supporting the addition of 27 proposed sites to the list of designated bathing waters in England, which is in compliance with the requirements of the Bathing Water Regulations 2013. The consultation will build on recent enhancements delivered by the government to the water environment, which included, amongst others, the restriction on bonuses for water company executives whose firms have committed serious criminal breaches, increasing protections for coastal and estuarine waters by expanding the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan and speeding up the process of building key water supply infrastructure, including more reservoirs and water transfer schemes. The consultation will close on 10 March 2024.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a consultation on proposed revisions to the Water Efficiency Standards in Building Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/2214), Part G2. The proposals include reducing the standard water usage requirement for new homes from 125 litres to 105 litres per person per day and lowering the Optional Technical Standard from 110 litres to 100 litres per person per day. The consultation also seeks input on enabling water reuse systems in new developments. These changes are designed to enhance water efficiency requirements in new residential construction. The consultation will close on 16 December 2025.