The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced that regional mayors will be able to access additional powers through the Right to Request scheme following a meeting of the Mayoral Council in York. Under the scheme, mayors can submit requests for new responsibilities, funding arrangements and partnerships, with the government required to respond within six months. The measures announced include a pilot regional approach to youth justice in Greater Manchester, initiatives in the Liverpool City Region to use technology and data in public service delivery, changes to arts funding arrangements in the North East aimed at aligning national and local investment priorities, a flood resilience and water management pilot in South Yorkshire and the exploration of new approaches to support young children and individuals with special educational needs in the West Midlands. The developments follow the enactment of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act earlier this year and are being introduced alongside the Pride in Place programme.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced over £50m of investment to tackle homelessness, aimed at supporting its commitment to halve long-term rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament. It states that the funding will be directed towards areas experiencing the greatest pressures and delivered through two separate programmes. A £37m Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund will be allocated competitively to small and medium-sized voluntary, community and faith organisations delivering day-to-day prevention and support services across England. The fund is intended to support projects, staffing and building improvements to expand sector capacity, strengthen community networks and promote trauma-informed approaches to ending rough sleeping. A further £15m will be invested over three years through a Long-Term Rough Sleeping Innovation Programme targeting 28 areas with the highest levels of long-term rough sleeping, including London. The programme is designed to enable councils and local partners to develop more personalised, co-ordinated support for people with complex needs, including through improved case co-ordination and closer links between services. MHCLG has also published guidance detailing how funding has been allocated under the Long-Term Rough Sleeping Innovation Programme.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has outlined its intention to invite proposals for local government reorganisation from all two-tier areas in England. This follows the publication of the English Devolution White Paper, which aims to transfer power from Westminster and restructure local government. The government has received requests from 16 counties and two unitaries to postpone their 2025 elections to 2026, to facilitate both reorganisation and devolution. These requests will be considered against strict criteria, with a decision to be made in due course. The MHLCG emphasises that elections will only be postponed where there is a clear commitment to delivering both reorganisation and devolution within an ambitious timeframe.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced plans to launch a new, permanent, and comprehensive Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, aimed at increasing homeownership among first-time buyers. The new scheme will replace the existing scheme, which was set to expire this year, with further details to be announced in due course. It is intended to provide long-term assurance to lenders such as banks and building societies, enabling them to continue offering low-deposit mortgages.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced plans to give England’s mayors a new power to introduce, where appropriate, a modest levy on overnight stays to support investment in transport, infrastructure and the visitor economy. The proposed measure would allow mayors and other local leaders to decide whether applying a charge on visitors staying in hotels, holiday lets, bed and breakfasts and guesthouses is right for their area. MHCLG explains that the proposal aims to enable local leaders to fund improvements that enhance communities and tourist experiences, adding that research shows reasonable fees have minimal impact on visitor numbers. Under the plans, emergency accommodation, homeless shelters and registered Gypsy and Traveller sites used as primary residences would be exempt, and a consultation on how the levy should operate is open until 18 February 2026.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced plans to legislate for caps on permission fees charged to leaseholders and homeowners on privately managed estates, as well as certain administrative fees. The charges can apply to requests to keep a pet or make minor changes to a property, and to obtaining documents such as building safety certificates. The government will consult on which fees should be capped and the level of each cap. It also intends to introduce independent regulation of property agents, who would need a licence and appropriate qualifications. The proposed regulator would be able to set standards for conduct and complaints handling and revoke licences if agents failed to meet them.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced that the government plans to consult on a new Decent Homes Standard for the rented sectors. The consultation, expected to launch as soon as possible, seeks to ensure that safe and secure housing is the expected standard for social housing and private rented properties.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced plans to reform the statutory consultee system. A consultation is scheduled for spring 2025, which will propose the removal of Sport England, Theatres Trust, and the Gardens Trust as statutory consultees in planning decisions, while narrowing the scope of others to focus on heritage, safety, and environmental protection. MHCLG aims to review the type and range of applications that require statutory consultee input, considering whether some could be removed or addressed through alternative engagement means and expert advice. Additional proposals include establishing a new performance framework, requiring chief executives of key statutory consultees to report directly to HM Treasury and MHCLG ministers on their performance, and mandating local authorities to consult statutory consultees only when necessary, with a 21 day statutory deadline for decisions, unless there is insufficient information to make a decision or more detailed advice could facilitate approval.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced the local planning authorities (LPAs) selected to receive more than £9 million in development management funding for 2025/26. Following an expression of interest process that closed on 28 January 2026, 62 local authorities have been awarded a share of over £6 million in development management funding, while the Greater London Authority will receive £3 million to support London boroughs and implement emergency measures announced on 23 October 2025. The funding is aimed at LPAs with high economic growth potential and a large volume of major residential schemes at the post-outline stage. Allocations will be made before the end of March 2026.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has approved a record 21 major infrastructure projects in the first year of the current Parliament, surpassing previous benchmarks and advancing the government’s Plan for Change target of 150 decisions. Enabled by reforms in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which streamline the approval process and reduce legal barriers, the projects include significant developments such as the Lower Thames Crossing, Mona Offshore Windfarm, Simister Island upgrade, and Gatwick Airport expansion. These initiatives are expected to deliver cleaner energy, improved transport links, and increased economic activity, supporting thousands of skilled jobs and enhancing connectivity across the UK.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced reforms to Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs) aimed at enabling local authorities to bring long-term empty homes back into use more quickly. EDMOs allow local authorities to take over the management of long-term empty homes and return them to occupation for up to seven years while ownership remains with the property owner. The reforms will reduce the period a property must be empty before it becomes eligible for an EDMO from two years to six months and streamline the application process by removing evidential requirements relating to issues such as anti-social behaviour and community support for intervention. MHCLG states that the changes are intended to make it simpler for local authorities to seek an EDMO through the Residential Property Tribunal. MHCLG is also considering further changes to strengthen the EDMO regime.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced plans to modernise and streamline the home buying and selling process. Key reforms include digitalising property information, improving data sharing between professionals, and implementing digital identity services to reduce transaction times. The MHCLG has launched a 12-week project to establish data sharing protocols for the property sector. This project, supported by HM Land Registry (HMLR) aims to facilitate information exchange between conveyancers, lenders, and other stakeholders. HMLR will conduct 10-month pilots with selected councils to explore methods for digitising and improving access to property data. Concurrently, the government is progressing plans to implement digital identity verification services in the sector. These initiatives will be implemented in collaboration with the Digital Property Market Steering Group, which comprises industry and government experts committed to digitalising the home buying and selling process.