Local authority round-up 31 October 2025
31st October, 2025
Our Local Authority round up provides brief summaries of topical information on a weekly basis, to keep you aware of the changes and updates relevant to you.
Housing
Government common-sense approach regulation to support new homes drive
Changes to the environmental permitting system is set to reduce waiting times for permits, allowing businesses to get building, delivering much needed new housing and infrastructure. The Government’s Regulation Action Plan strongly supports proposals for more proportionate and common-sense attitudes towards environmental permits. These changes will help speed up construction of new housing and key infrastructure in England because it removes the early holdups for builders and in turn, supports wider government action to cut administrative costs for businesses.
The Environmental Agency will be empowered to consider which activities should be exempt from requiring an environmental permit, thus making the permitting regime quicker, more flexible and proportionate for low risk activities. Currently, activities vital for early stages of construction projects, such as, site investigations, waste material storage and drainage operations are required to have environmental permits before work can begin. Under this new regime, it is hoped these low-risk activities will be exempt from the permit application process (subject to appropriate controls), therefore saving builders up to 16 weeks of waiting by moving forward with projects much sooner.
For more information, please click here.
Health & Social care
Faster care for thousands due to NHS use of independent sector
Hundreds of thousands of people are now receiving faster care thanks to the government’s partnership with the private sector. This partnership is helping provide the treatment the sector needs to get back on its feet and it is free at the point of use.
More than 6 million appointments, tests and operations were delivered by independent providers for NHS patients this year – almost 500,000 more than last year. It is also reported that independent healthcare providers delivered an average of 19,000 surgical procedures and 100,000 outpatient appointments every week this financial year, helping to treat more than 1.1 million people. The NHS’ use of this partnership with the private sector has allowed patient waiting times to be cut by up to 5 months by switching to nearby hospitals with shorter queues.
The reliance on the private sector is part of a government drive to use every available resource to stop patients suffering due to unacceptably long waiting lists (which have now fallen by 206,000 over the past year). Using the spare capacity in the private sector is central to the government’s goal that 92% of patients in England should wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment – fundamental for improving the sector.
For more information, please click here.
Regulatory
Legal test for use of force in police misconduct cases set to change
Government announces new rules for police officers to be given more clarity and confidence when making split-second decisions to protect the public. The legal test for the use of force in police misconduct cases will be returned to the criminal law test. Essentially, this means, when officers need to act quickly in the face of danger, they must have an honest belief that the use of force is necessary. This will help ensure that police officers will not be penalised for making genuine mistakes when carrying out high-pressure work.
The current legal test used to assess a police officer’s use of lethal force or other force in misconduct cases is referred to as the civil law test. This current test has far less mitigation for genuine mistakes. The government will legislate to make this change to the use of force test following consultation with the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales as required by the law as soon as the Parliamentary timetable allows.
If you would like more information, please click here.
Upcoming events
Seminar: Procurement and Public Law Update
The challenge everyone in the public sector is facing is bedding in the new procurement rules with their increased transparency requirements.
This seminar will look at what those changes have meant in practice since both the new Act and the new NHS regime came into force and will give practical tips on how to manage procurements now.
In our Procurement and Public Law Update we will be covering a range of topics such as:
- Highlights from the transition to the Procurement Act 2023 and the NHS Procurement Selection Regime
- Latest case law
- The Transparency agenda
- Avoiding or defending a challenge
- Update on Subsidy Control
- Update on Local government reorganisation
Register here and join us for our in person Procurement and Public Law Update on Thursday 20th November between 9.30am – 12.30pm.
Webinar: Ward Hadaway Housing Management Law School – Autumn Term 2025
Join us for our Autumn 2025 Housing Management Law School, covering hot topics like the Renters’ Rights Act, which is expected to come into effect in 2026, as well as helping you ensure that your practices and procedures are fit for purpose.
You’ll also have the opportunity to put your questions to our speakers – either in advance via the registration form, or during the session using Zoom’s Q&A feature.
Book your place here to join us on Thursday 27 November 2025 between 10:00 am – 11:30 am.
Webinar: Mayoral Development Corporations – Catalysts for growth and regeneration
Everyone involved in delivering regeneration projects needs to understand Mayoral Development Corporations because they are increasingly being favoured as a route to deliver ambitious schemes.
Between 2012 and 2025 six were created – but now there are plans for the same number to be established in the next two years.
In this webinar we will explore what MDCs can do, as well as speaking to people involved in their day to day running to learn lessons about what makes them effective at delivering regeneration outcomes.
You will be able to ask your own questions either in advance via the registration form, or you can use the Q&A feature in Zoom on the day.
Register here and join us on Tuesday 4 November at 10am.
Please note that this briefing is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.
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