The Secretary of State made and enacted emergency regulations immediately restricting low-altitude flights over Mountain Ash, allowing exceptions only for police-directed aircraft.

The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Mountain Ash) (Emergency) Regulations 2025 immediately restrict all aircraft from flying below 1,500 feet above mean sea level within a one nautical mile radius centered on Mountain Ash, as this prohibition is deemed necessary by the Secretary of State due to an emergency affecting the public interest in that area; these restrictions remain in force until the emergency subsides and permit exceptions only for aircraft operating under the direction of the South Wales Police.

The Secretary of State made an Order granting development consent for the Helios Renewable Energy Project after examination by the Examining Authority and consideration of all relevant environmental and policy matters.

The Helios Renewable Energy Project Order 2025 grants development consent under the Planning Act 2008 for the construction, operation, and decommissioning of a solar generating station and battery energy storage system in the North Yorkshire Council area, defining the scope of the authorised development, granting the undertaker powers for compulsory acquisition of land or rights, and establishing detailed preliminary provisions, street works, and specific protective requirements for various statutory undertakers including electricity, gas, water, drainage, and railway interests.

The Secretary of State approved a non-material change application, resulting in this Order which amended the 2022 DCO via defining Defra, specifying the undertaker, and altering the HHW SAC compensation requirements to include an option for Marine Recovery Fund payments.

This Order enacts non-material changes to the Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Farm Order 2022, effective from December 19th, 2025, following an application for amendment.

Key revisions include adding a definition for 'Defra,' clarifying the named 'undertaker' as Norfolk Vanguard West Limited, and significantly modifying Part 3 of Schedule 17, which relates to compensation for impacts on the Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton Special Area of Conservation (HHW SAC) by introducing the Marine Recovery Fund Payment as an alternative management measure to specific marine debris removal tasks.

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 amended the 2024 Producer Responsibility Obligations rules by introducing specific definitions, defining producer liability in mergers and acquisitions, creating reporting pathways for closed-loop packaging waste, updating compliance fees, and outlining transitional reporting arrangements.

These Regulations amend the 2024 Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations, effective from January 1st, 2026, across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, primarily by introducing new definitions for fibre-based composite materials, refining producer responsibility during corporate mergers and acquisitions, and establishing specific rules and charges for reporting 'closed loop packaging waste' derived from food-grade plastic.

Furthermore, the amendments adjust the scope of exemptions for charities, update various financial charges outlined in Schedule 1, and empower the scheme administrator to appoint Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) to assist in regulatory functions, alongside detailed transitional provisions for reporting historical data related to the new closed-loop category.

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.

The Order abolished existing electoral wards in Middlesbrough and replaced them with 20 new wards, specifying the number of councillors for each.

This Order legally enacts the recommendations made by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England regarding the electoral arrangements for the borough of Middlesbrough, established under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.

It abolishes all existing electoral wards within Middlesbrough and replaces them with 20 new wards, detailing the specific area and the corresponding number of councillors for each new ward as listed in the attached Schedule, with full effect beginning for elections held in 2027.

The Order legally abolished the existing electoral wards of Sandwell and established 24 new wards, setting the framework for the 2026 council elections and subsequent councillor retirements.

This Order gives effect to the September 2025 recommendations of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England for changes to the electoral arrangements in the Borough of Sandwell, legally abolishing the existing electoral wards and establishing 24 new wards, each entitled to three councillors, effective for the 2026 local elections, while also detailing necessary provisions for the retirement cycle of the newly elected councillors.