Local Government Legislation
Legislative framework for local authority powers, council operations, municipal services, and community governance.
The Atom Valley Northern Gateway Mayoral Development Corporation (Establishment) Order 2025
This statutory instrument formally establishes the Atom Valley Northern Gateway Mayoral Development Corporation by exercising powers granted under the Localism Act 2011, as modified by related orders concerning Greater Manchester.
The Order defines the precise Mayoral development area using a specific map, names the new corporation, and sets the commencement date for its operation as January 16th, 2026.
The Procurement Act 2023 (Commencement No. 4) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made by the Minister for the Cabinet Office with the consent of the Welsh Ministers, exercise powers under the Procurement Act 2023 to bring specified provisions of that Act into force across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland on set dates in 2026.
Specifically, sections concerning payments compliance notices (Section 69) and contract performance assessment (Section 71) come into force for most procurements on January 1st, 2026, while Section 69 (for Welsh-regulated procurements) and Section 70 (information about payments) commence on April 1st, 2026, with mechanisms defined to differentiate between procurements regulated by the UK government and those regulated by the Welsh Ministers.
The Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (Cremyll to Kingswear) Order 2025
This Order, made by the Secretary of State under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, officially appoints December 17th, 2025, as the date when the coastline access preparation period ends for the coastal margin relating to the England Coast Path route between Cremyll and Kingswear.
This date signifies the conclusion of the preparatory phase following the Secretary of State’s approval of specific reports detailing the path segments, thereby establishing definitive public access rights over that coastal margin land.
The Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth) Order 2025
This Order, made by the Secretary of State under powers granted by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, officially sets December 17, 2025, as the date when the access preparation period ends for the land designated as coastal margin along the England Coast Path section between Combe Martin and Marsland Mouth, based on previously approved reports and proposals.
The Childcare (Free of Charge for Working Parents) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made by the Secretary of State under the Childcare Act 2016, amend the Childcare (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Inspection Outcomes) (England) Regulations 2025 to correct a specific drafting error concerning free childcare provisions for working parents.
The instrument specifically modifies Regulation 5(4) of the principal Regulations, which in turn amends Regulation 44 of the 2022 Regulations, by omitting only redundant transitional sub-paragraphs from paragraph (3), rather than omitting the whole paragraph as previously intended.
They come into force on December 31, 2025, and extend to England and Wales.
The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (Commencement No. 8 and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, commence specific provisions primarily related to compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) under the Acquisition of Land Act 1981.
The commencement applies to CPOs subject to confirmation by an authority other than the Welsh Ministers, or those prepared in draft by a Minister other than the Welsh Ministers.
Key changes involve bringing into force requirements for online publicity for CPOs and amending procedural rules within the 1981 Act.
A transitional provision clarifies that these amendments do not apply where necessary statutory public notices were published before the commencement date, ensuring ongoing processes are not legally disrupted.
The South East Water Limited (River Ouse and Shell Brook) Drought Order 2025
The Secretary of State issued the South East Water Limited (River Ouse and Shell Brook) Drought Order 2025, effective from December 3, 2025, until June 2, 2026, to address a threatened serious water supply deficiency in the Sussex region caused by an exceptional shortage of rain.
This Order temporarily modifies South East Water Limited's existing abstraction licence (No. 21/128) by reducing required compensation release volumes to the Shell Brook, altering the natural flow conditions under which water can be abstracted from the River Ouse at Barcombe, and enabling abstraction at Ardingly during the Order's duration.
The Order mandates adherence to an environmental monitoring plan and specific mitigation measures detailed in a supporting Environmental Assessment Report.
The Dogger Bank Creyke Beck Offshore Wind Farm (Amendment) Order 2025
This Order amends the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck Offshore Wind Farm Order 2015, granted under the Planning Act 2008, following an application for a non-material change.
The Secretary of State has made this amendment to allow the two constituent parts of the project, referred to as Project A and Project B, to be treated separately for the purpose of discharging and enforcing various conditions, particularly concerning abandonment, decay, removal, noise limits, and specific requirements placed on the distinct components of the offshore and onshore works.