The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published the Grenfell Tower site update, detailing recent developments following the Deputy Prime Minister's February 2025 decision on the tower's future. The update covers the annual tower rewrapping programme, ongoing site maintenance activities, air quality monitoring measures and available health and wellbeing support services for the community.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published statutory guidance on the updated survivor benefits rules in the Local Government Pension Scheme regulations for England and Wales. This guidance accompanies The Local Government Pension Scheme (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Member Benefits) Regulations 2026 and is designed to assists administering authorities with the following implementing changes: survivor pension equalisation, removal of cohabitee nomination requirements and elimination of the age 75 death grant cap.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published three guidance documents covering inspections, statutory services and staffing alongside its latest local government reorganisation (LGR) decisions affecting 14 areas in England .

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published the Ministerial Envoys’ second report on progress at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, alongside updated directions under section 15 of the Local Government Act 1999 (LGA 1999), letters to the Ministerial Envoys and the Chief Executive of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Stephen Halsey, updated appointment letters for the Envoys, the Council’s representations and an explanatory memorandum explaining the Secretary of State’s decision.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published the New Towns Taskforce report, alongside its initial response. The Taskforce—an independent expert advisory panel established in September 2024—identified 12 potential sites for new town developments across England and set out proposed delivery mechanisms. It recommends a mix of large-scale communities, such as urban extensions, urban regeneration and standalone greenfield sites, with each new town expected to contain at least 10,000 homes, of which a minimum of 40% would be affordable housing. In its initial response, MHCLG welcomed all 12 proposed locations and the Taskforce’s wider delivery recommendations. It set out plans to begin construction in at least three new towns during the current Parliament, prioritising Tempsford, Crews Hill and Leeds South Bank. A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) will be undertaken to evaluate the environmental impact of the proposed developments before final decisions are made. Draft proposals and the SEA are expected to be published for consultation in spring 2026, followed by confirmation of selected locations and a full government response. A dedicated New Towns Unit will also be established to coordinate development and innovation across departments.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published a new Remediation Acceleration Plan (RAP), aimed at expediting the removal of unsafe cladding in England, identifying all unsafe buildings, and supporting residents from the financial burdens of remediation. The plan sets key targets for 2029, including remediating all 18m+ buildings with unsafe cladding in government-funded schemes by 2029, and ensuring all 11m+ buildings are either remediated, have a completion date, or landlords face severe penalties. The RAP is supported by increased enforcement investment, which will increase the capacity of local authorities, fire and rescue authorities and the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to manage hundreds of cases annually. The publication of the RAP coincides with a Parliamentary debate on the findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report. During the debate, it was announced that a continuous review process for statutory guidance to building regulations will be introduced, covering fire safety and building design by the BSR. In addition, there will be a review of how the Building Regulations guidance is produced, updated, and communicated to the construction industry.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published its response to the Right to Buy reform consultation, which received 964 responses between 20 November 2024 and 15 January 2025. The response outlines reforms including modified eligibility requirements, revised discount structures, a 35-year exemption for newly built social housing and expanded council flexibility for capital receipt spending. The changes follow November 2024's reduction in maximum cash discounts, with legislation to implement these reforms planned when Parliamentary time permits.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published its sixth progress update on implementing the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 recommendations. The report tracks 61 recommendations, comprising 58 Phase 2 recommendations and three remaining Phase 1 recommendations. Of these, 31 are in progress and 30 are complete. MHCLG continues to expect all recommendations to be implemented by the end of 2029, noting that some measures require new legislation to be introduced in Parliament.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published a White Paper, outlining its proposals for the operation of the reformed commonhold model in England and Wales. The paper responds to the Law Commission's 2020 recommendations on reinvigorating commonhold as an alternative to leasehold ownership and sets out the next steps for establishing commonhold as the default tenure system. MHCLG is also committed to supporting a new Code of Practice on cost apportionment in commonhold and strengthening the regulation of managing agents in England, with a related consultation expected later in 2025. Additionally, it intends to consult on the best approach to banning new leasehold flats to complement a robust ban on leasehold houses. MHCLG also plans to publish a draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill in the second half of 2025, detailing the legal framework for how reformed commonhold will work.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published ‘Protecting What Matters: Towards a more confident, cohesive, and resilient UK’, a policy paper setting out cross-government plans to strengthen social cohesion across the UK. Key measures include enhanced powers for the Charity Commission to close charities that promote extremism and the introduction of mandatory local authority registers of children not in school to strengthen oversight of home education. The plan also provides for a £500,000 investment in community-led school linking projects, increased funding to improve security at synagogues and schools and the rollout of workplace training programmes aimed at tackling antisemitism. In addition, the government will adopt a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility and appoint a special representative to improve understanding and reporting of related incidents.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published the amended Approved Document B (Fire Safety), alongside circulars, to remove references to the outdated National Classes fire testing standards and make provision for sprinklers in new care homes. Circular 03/2024 will come into effect on 2 March 2025, Circular 04/2024 on 30 September 2026 and Circular 05/2024 on 2 September 2029. This is accompanied by a Ministerial Statement from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Building Safety and Homelessness, Rushanara Ali, which asserts that the recommendation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report relating to ‘Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans’ will be brought forward, as well as further details in relation to the recognition of Conformité Européenne (CE) marking for construction products, National Classes, and sprinklers in care homes.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published its first annual report on progress in implementing the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 recommendations. As of 25 February 2026, 12 of the 61 recommendations have been completed and formally discharged, with 49 remaining in progress. Government anticipates that around 70% of recommendations will be closed by the end of 2026. The report confirms that all recommendations have been accepted and that implementation remains on track within the four-year timeframe set out in February 2025.