The Welsh Government has published an impact assessment estimating the costs and benefits of the proposed new building control regime for higher‑risk buildings (HRBs) and dutyholder requirements for other building works under the Building Safety Act 2022 Phase 2 design and construction stage. The analysis assesses the additional requirements—including Gateways, dutyholder requirements, residents’ engagement, the golden thread, mandatory reporting, sanctions and familiarisation costs—for both HRBs and non‑HRBs. It estimates 10‑year costs of £107.22m and highlights expected benefits including safer buildings, reduced fire‑spread and structural risk and avoidance of future systemic issues like defective cladding.

The Welsh Government has published guidance on implementing the Planning (Wales) Act 2026 (P(W)A 2026) and the Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026 (P(CP)(W)A 2026). Commencement is expected in October 2027. The guidance sets out a two-phase approach.

The Welsh Government has published guidance for landlords on the Renting Homes (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026, setting out changes arising from the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 which prohibit discrimination against contract-holders with children or those receiving welfare benefits. The guidance explains that, from 1 June 2026, new fundamental terms are inserted into most occupation contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, giving contract-holders the right to have children live in or visit the dwelling and to claim benefits, with any restriction on children permitted only where it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, such as preventing overcrowding. Temporary exceptions apply where existing insurance contracts impose such restrictions, but these cease upon renewal, after which conflicting provisions have no effect, and supported accommodation is excluded from the requirement relating to children. The guidance also requires landlords to update occupation contracts and provide written notice of the new terms within 14 days, with any incompatible existing terms rendered ineffective unless justified by a legitimate aim or valid insurance exception.

The Welsh Government has published the guidance for conducting surveys of election candidates in local elections, aiming to promote transparency and informed decision-making. The guidance provides advice to local authorities on navigating regulations surrounding candidate surveys, with the aim to gain insights into characteristics of individuals running for and holding local office, to help inform policy development in this area.

The Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden MS, has announced the publication of a new infographic detailing key activities undertaken to embed awareness of children's rights in Wales. The announcement builds upon Wales' established framework for children's rights, which began with The Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011. The Minister outlined several ongoing initiatives, including the expansion of Young Wales, the implementation of children's rights in the new curriculum, and the development of professional learning resources promoting UNCRC and UNCRPD understanding. The infographic serves as a comprehensive overview of Wales' strategic approach to promoting children's rights awareness among children, practitioners and carers, reinforcing the Welsh Government's commitment to creating 'a Wales for all Children' where rights are understood and actively supported.

The Welsh Government has published an action plan aimed at maximising Wales’ offshore wind potential and securing long-term economic benefits. The plan, developed by a task and finish group established earlier in 2025, outlines several key recommendations, including: (1) establishing a forum by autumn 2025 to bring together project developers, government, and key bodies to improve stakeholder coordination and maximise local benefits from new wind farms in the Celtic Sea; (2) streamlining planning and consent processes to reduce delays and provide developers with a clear, coordinated roadmap, helping to accelerate project timelines and reduce costs; (3) providing targeted support to help Welsh businesses, particularly SMEs, access the offshore wind supply chain and connect with larger companies; and (4) integrating the Welsh steel and concrete sectors into offshore wind development, particularly for floating offshore wind foundations and substructures.

The Welsh Government has published an oral statement, delivered by Jayne Bryant MS, Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, to the, addressing affordable housing. The statement outlined progress toward the Government’s target of delivering 20,000 low-carbon social homes for rent by 2026, noting that 18,652 are expected to be completed by May 2026, with the remaining 1,652 to follow shortly after. Bryant noted that housing continues to be a key government priority, supported by a £2bn investment in social housing. The statement also highlighted ongoing initiatives to address homelessness, including the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Bill and the Transitional Accommodation Capital Programme, which received a £155m funding boost in October 2025.

The Welsh Government has published the outcome of two consultations in relation to the Infrastructure (Wales) Bill. The first consultation was in respect of the fees for performance of infrastructure consent functions and services and the second was on the requirements for pre-application consultation and methods of engaging stakeholders and local communities.

The Welsh Government has published the outcome of its consultation on the national strategy for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse in Wales, setting out feedback on proposals for a 10-year strategy covering prevention, protection, and support for children, families and adult victim-survivors, following engagement with victim-survivors and key stakeholders across Wales to inform policy development for 2025 to 2035. The consultation closed 8 October 2025.

The Welsh Government has published a summary of responses and final decisions on proposals for a new building control regime for higher-risk buildings and wider changes to building regulations in Wales, following its March 2025 consultation. Respondents showed strong support across all major areas, particularly dutyholder roles, competence requirements, the golden thread of information, Gateway processes and strengthened enforcement powers. Around 80% of respondents agreed to introducing clear duties for clients, designers, principal designers, contractors and principal contractors, alongside requirements to demonstrate competence and record appointment decisions. Respondents also supported secure, accessible and transferable golden thread information, comprehensive documentation at Gateway 2, mandatory occurrence reporting, strengthened change-control processes and storing information on work in existing higher-risk buildings.

The Welsh Government has published the outcome to its phase 2 consultation on fairer council tax. The phase 2 consultation ran from 14 November 2023 to 6 February 2024 and followed from a phase 1 consultation held in 2022. The Welsh Government received 1,676 responses from a wide range of user groups including Welsh local authorities, representative bodies and members of the public. The responses cover four key areas including approaches to designing new council tax bands, regular updates to council tax in the future, discounts and exemptions and a more transparent and effective appeals process.

The Welsh Government has published the outcome and summary of responses to its consultation on proposed changes to permitted development rights in Wales, covering air source heat pumps, electric vehicle charging units, temporary campsites, statutory undertakers’ electricity development, emergency affordable housing, meanwhile uses, the definition of major development and the introduction of permitted development rights for reverse vending machines, setting out stakeholder views to inform future planning policy decisions across Wales. The consultation ran from 8 April 2025 to 1 July 2025.