The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced the Deputy Prime Minister's decision to proceed with the careful demolition of Grenfell Tower following consultation with bereaved families, survivors and local residents in its Grenfell Tower April 2025 update. The announcement comes as annual maintenance work continues, including the replacement of the tower's protective outer wrapping which began in March 2025 and is expected to take ten weeks. Site preparation work for the eighth anniversary of the tragedy includes area resurfacing and contractor facility adjustments.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced the implementation of High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs), effective from 2 December 2024. This new legal power, introduced by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, empowers local councils and authorities to auction leases for commercial properties that have been left vacant for over 365 days within a 24-month period. The government has committed £1m to support the auction process, which aims to revitalise high streets by offering businesses and community groups a 'right to rent' vacant town-centre commercial properties. The HSRAs are part of the government’s broader strategy to support local businesses, with a new Small Business Strategy expected to be published in 2025, outlining further support for small and medium-sized enterprises, including improved access to finance and domestic and overseas markets.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced the introduction of a Neighbourhood Guarantee establishing minimum standards for public services including the need for cleaner streets, filled potholes and vital public services. Local leaders will work with central government to meet these standards and deliver tangible change. The measures include Community Power Pilots launching in up to 25 areas where councils, community groups and residents will co-design local services. The government has legislated to introduce and enforce profit caps on private companies providing public services, with specific focus on children’s new social care providers. Councils will receive new powers to restrict certain retail premises on high streets, take over empty shops and uses spaces for alternative purposes. Mayors will be granted decision-making powers over Transport and Works Act Orders within their areas to facilitate public transport development. The government is progressing a review of Right to Manage processes for social housing residents and will implement Law Commission recommendations on leasehold right to manage within this parliament. This initiative builds on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 and supports the £5.8 billion Pride in Place programme.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced that the New Homes Accelerator programme has helped unlock and accelerate the delivery of nearly 100,000 homes across England since its launch in August 2024. The initiative targets large developments stalled in the planning system by providing expert support to remove regulatory and planning blockages. Six new priority sites—Comeytrowe (Somerset), Wisley Airfield (Guildford), North Leigh Park (Wigan), Hampden Fields (Aylesbury) and two London sites (Billet Road and High Road West)—are expected to deliver a further 12,000 homes with at least 25% affordable housing. The programme supports the government’s Plan for Change commitment to build 1.5 million homes and stimulate economic growth with benefits for working families and young people seeking homes to buy or rent.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill intended to reduce infrastructure project delivery times by one year on average. The changes will remove existing statutory consultation requirements for major infrastructure projects, reducing the current two-year pre-consultation period by half. The reforms aim to align the process with planning applications for major housing schemes, with new statutory guidance to be issued on local engagement. MHCLG estimates these changes will save over £1bn for industry and taxpayers during the current Parliament. The amendments will affect clean energy projects, reservoirs, railway lines and other major infrastructure developments.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announced that the Renters' Rights Bill received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, becoming the Renters' Rights Act. This Act abolishes Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and introduces a simplified tenancy structure in which all assured tenancies become periodic. Among the Act’s key provisions is the establishment of a Private Rented Sector Ombudsman with binding resolution powers and the creation of a comprehensive Private Rented Sector Database to bolster regulation. The Act also mandates the application of both the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law to the private rented sector. Additionally, it prohibits discrimination against benefit recipients and families with children, and it terminates rental bidding practices.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced that the Renters’ Rights Bill has been introduced to Parliament. This Bill will ban Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions for new and existing tenancies, reassuring tenants that they can challenge bad practice without fear of retaliatory eviction. Landlords will be required to provide a valid cause for terminating a tenancy early, providing tenants with greater protections and security.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced that the Social Housing Bill has returned to Parliament for its second reading. The Bill aims to strengthen protections for victims of domestic abuse and reform the social housing system by giving landlords and courts powers to evict perpetrators from social homes without requiring victims to leave first. It would also prevent perpetrators from using a Notice to Quit to end a joint tenancy during ongoing proceedings and allow courts to transfer joint tenancies into the victim's sole name or require landlords to provide suitable alternative accommodation where remaining in the home is not appropriate. These measures seek to address current rules that can leave victims at risk of homelessness.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced its decision to implement local government reorganisation in Surrey, subject to Parliamentary approval of a Structural Changes Order. The reorganisation will replace Surrey's 11 district and borough councils and one county council with two new unitary authorities: West Surrey and East Surrey. West Surrey will comprise Guildford BC, Runnymede BC, Spelthorne BC, Surrey Heath BC, Waverley BC, and Woking BC, while East Surrey will include Elmbridge BC, Epsom and Ewell BC, Mole Valley DC, Reigate and Banstead BC, and Tandridge DC. Elections to the new councils are scheduled for May 2026, with the unitary authorities expected to assume full council responsibilities from April 2027. The government has committed to repay £500m of Woking Borough Council's debt in 2026-27, with further debt support to be considered. The decision follows a consultation that ran from 17 June to 5 August 2025 on proposals submitted by Elmbridge Borough Council, Mole Valley District Council and Surrey County Council.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) has published the outcome of its consultation on Homelessness Prevention Grant funding arrangements from 2026–27. Following 189 consultation responses, MHCLG will implement two key changes: a shift to a 75/25 split between Housing Benefit plus Universal Credit claimants and working households as metrics to measure homelessness demand and the application of separate inner/outer London averages for labour costs, while maintaining a single London-wide average for rent costs. In addition, the MHCLG will retain its existing proposals to use temporary accommodation numbers for demand measurement and Private Rented Sector rents for cost measurement. Final details on the implementation, including transitional arrangements and funding proportions, will be confirmed once budgets are finalised later in 2025.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner’s decision to carefully dismantle Grenfell Tower. This decision follows independent expert engineering advice, which determined that the Tower is significantly damaged and will continue to deteriorate over time, even with additional support measures. The deconstruction process will not commence before the eighth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire and is expected to take approximately two years. In the coming months, the government will appoint a specialist contractor to develop a detailed dismantling plan. The work will be led by technical experts with specific health and safety responsibilities, and will include a comprehensive methodology addressing environmental, health, and safety measures. The Metropolitan Police, HM Coroner, and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry have confirmed that all necessary evidence has been collected, ensuring that the dismantling will not affect ongoing investigations or legal proceedings.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced the establishment of the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation, a joint national and local body with powers to assemble land for development, invest in key sites and unlock stalled and derelict land. The announcement builds on up to £800m already committed to development around Cambridge and Oxford. The government states that progress has already been made to remove barriers to growth in Greater Cambridge, including action on water supply and wastewater capacity, enabling over 9,000 homes and more than 500,000 square metres of commercial space to come forward.