The regulations amended the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013 to introduce pension membership for elected members in England and Wales, defining eligible roles, scheme employers, and setting out specific modifications for elected service accrual, while also applying consequential amendments across several local governance orders.

These 2026 Regulations, which apply to England and Wales, amend the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Regulations 2013 to formally incorporate elected members, such as councillors and mayors of various local bodies, into the scheme, treating them as employees for pension purposes, and establishing definitions for eligible members, scheme employers, and rules for pensionable pay based on allowances received, while also making consequential amendments across numerous existing Combined Authority and County Authority establishment orders.

The Order amended the 2008 procedural framework concerning the Mayor of London's oversight of planning applications, introduced Category 3J for large housing schemes, formalized intervention procedures, and updated legislative cross-references.

This Statutory Instrument amends the Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 to update procedural references and introduce significant changes to how development proposals of strategic importance (PSI applications) are handled within Greater London, notably by inserting a new Category 3J covering developments involving 50 or more residential units, which triggers specific notification and potential direction powers for the Mayor of London, while also extending the Mayor's direction power to Category 3D development.

The Order abolished the two-tier local government in Surrey, created two new unitary councils (East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council), mandated 2026 elections for shadow authorities, and detailed the complex transition and implementation procedures.

This Statutory Instrument, made by the Secretary of State under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, dissolves the existing two-tier local government structure in Surrey, abolishing Surrey County Council and the existing district councils effective April 1, 2027.

It establishes two new unitary areas: East Surrey and West Surrey, each with a new principal authority.

The Order mandates elections for these new councils in 2026, where they will operate as 'shadow authorities' to prepare for the transfer of functions, property, and liabilities during the 'shadow period' leading up to the full structural change.

The Order amended the Firefighters' Pension Scheme (England) Order 2006 by introducing new death grants for retained firefighters, defining provisions for 'retained firefighter opt-out members' to purchase service, and extending multiple benefit claim and election deadlines.

The Firefighters' Pension Scheme (England) (Amendment) Order 2026 amends the 2006 Scheme, primarily to revise rules affecting retained firefighters by introducing new death benefits, establishing mechanisms for individuals who opted out of contributions to retroactively purchase service, and extending various application windows, including those concerning service purchase during the extended limited period and the conversion of standard to special membership, all aimed at refining pension provisions for this group.

A Statutory Instrument was made to correct the commencement date in the principal 2026 Compulsory Purchase Forms Regulations from February 2025 to the intended February 2026.

This Statutory Instrument corrects a commencement date error in the prior Compulsory Purchase of Land (Prescribed Forms) (Ministers) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, replacing the incorrect date of '18th February 2025' with the correct operative date of '18th February 2026' for those principal regulations in England and Wales, exercising powers granted under the Acquisition of Land Act 1981.

The Order revoked the previous Statutory Instrument (S.I. 2026/96) that had postponed local government elections in 30 English councils from May 2026 to May 2027, meaning those elections proceed as originally scheduled.

This Statutory Instrument, made by the Secretary of State exercising powers under the Local Government Act 2000, revokes the Local Authorities (Changes to Years of Ordinary Elections) (England) Order 2026, which had previously postponed local government elections in 30 councils from May 2026 until May 2027, thereby mandating that those local elections now proceed in May 2026.

The Regulations activated specific sections of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 and the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 concerning compulsory purchase procedures, development corporations, and EDPs, with commencement dates staggered between the day after the Regulations were made, February 18th, 2026, and April 1st, 2026.

These Regulations establish the commencement dates for various provisions within the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 and the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, primarily setting 18th February 2026 as the start date for certain compulsory purchase order reforms and several aspects of Development Corporation powers, while bringing forward regulatory powers and provisions related to Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) immediately, alongside transitional measures to govern ongoing compulsory purchase procedures.

The Regulations activated specific definitional and consequential provisions of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 on December 27, 2025, in preparation for the full commencement of investigatory powers.

These Regulations initiate the first partial commencement of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, bringing specified sections into force on December 27, 2025, primarily to establish key definitions necessary for the operation of investigatory powers under Part 4 of the Act and to enable the production of statutory guidance for local authorities regarding financial penalties under the Housing Act 2004.