Current Government Consultations - July 2025

A brief summary of current government consultations of potential interest to RSN members. This is not intended as an exhaustive list of all relevant consultations.

- Download a printable version of the Government Consultations here

The Fair Funding Review 2.0 – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

This consultation seeks views on the approach to determining new funding allocations for local authorities and fire and rescue authorities, building on the local authority funding reform: objectives and principles consultation which the government has formally responded to in parallel.

This consultation covers:

• determining local authority funding allocations
• approach to consolidating funding
• measuring differences in demand for services and the cost of delivering them
• measuring differences in locally available resources
• the New Homes Bonus
• transitional arrangements and keeping allocations up-to-date

It also covers:

• long-term approach to the business rates retention system
• devolution and wider reforms, including how government can bring Strategic Authorities closer to the Local Government Finance Settlement
• ways government can reduce demands on local government to empower them to deliver for communities; and sales, fees and charges reform.

This consultation closes on 15 August 2025.

The Fair Funding Review 2.0 - GOV.UK

Modernising and improving the administration of council tax – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

Government are seeking views on the administration of council tax including:

• changing the ways council tax is billed, collected and enforced
• modernising the support available in the system
• supporting councils to improve efficiency

Taken together, these changes aim to create a fairer and more efficient system for taxpayers and local authorities.

The consultation contains firm policy proposals to improve the system and call for evidence questions to inform future policy.

This consultation closes on 12 September 2025.

Modernising and improving the administration of council tax - GOV.UK

Flood and coastal erosion funding reform – Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Government want your views on their proposals for changing the way flood and coastal erosion projects are funded.

They are proposing to stop using the current funding formula entirely and replace it with a simple 2-step process. They would like to mainstream investment in natural flood management and make better use of property flood resilience measures. Most projects in delivery from April 2026 will use the new funding rules. 

They are also calling for evidence on 2 wider areas:

• how they can secure more funding contributions
• how English devolution could support flood risk management in England

This consultation closes on 29 July 2025.

Flood and coastal erosion funding reform - GOV.UK

Space requirements in early years childcare settings in England – Department for Education

Government state: “The expansion of funded childcare for working parents is supporting families and helping parents to enter work or increase their hours.

“To meet demand for the expanded entitlements, additional childcare places are required. However, one of the barriers to expanding childcare provision is the indoor space requirements in the EYFS frameworks.

“Therefore, we are consulting on potential options for amending the EYFS indoor space requirements. This is in addition to other initiatives planned to increase places by September 2025.”

This consultation closes on 11 July 2025.

Space requirements in early years childcare settings in England - GOV.UK

Improving the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development – Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Government want to know what you think about the implementation of biodiversity net gain (BNG) for minor, medium and brownfield development.

BNG is a way of creating and improving natural habitats. BNG makes sure development has a measurably positive impact (‘net gain’) on biodiversity, compared to what was there before development.

This consultation includes options around extending exemptions, simplifying the small sites metric and increasing ease of access to the off-site market. It also addresses specific challenges for brownfield developments.

This consultation closes on 24 July 2025.

They are also consulting separately on BNG for nationally significant infrastructure projects.

Improving the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development - GOV.UK

Community benefits and shared ownership for low carbon energy infrastructure – Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

This working paper seeks views on the design of a potential mandatory community benefits scheme for low carbon energy infrastructure and the facilitation of shared ownership for renewable generation infrastructure.

It covers:

• the scope of such a scheme
• how a scheme should be administered and enforced
• how best to facilitate shared ownership of renewable generation infrastructure, including whether the powers in the Infrastructure Act 2015 should be exercised

If you would like to provide your views, please respond online by 16 July 2025.

Community benefits and shared ownership for low carbon energy infrastructure - GOV.UK

Reform of planning committees: technical consultation – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

Further to the introduction of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill this consultation seeks views on the implementation of the three aspects of reform proposed:

• a national scheme of delegation
• control of the size and composition of planning committees
• mandatory member training

This consultation closes on 23 July 2025.

Reform of planning committees: technical consultation - GOV.UK

Implementing measures to improve Build Out transparency: Technical consultation – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

This technical consultation sets out the rationale for implementing the new statutory build out information requirements and the power to decline to determine applications, including setting out the importance of build out and the government’s plan to improve build out transparency. It then goes into details of how the provisions are proposed to be applied, seeking specific views on: 

• the type of development these build out measures will apply to
• introducing and implementing build out statements
• implementing commencement notices
• implementing development progress reports
• sites where multiple developers are involved in build out
• implementing the power to decline to determine applications
• potential impacts of the proposed measures?

This consultation closes on 7 July 2025.

Implementing measures to improve Build Out transparency: Technical consultation - GOV.UK

Climate-related transition plan requirements – Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

The government committed to mandating “UK-regulated financial institutions (including banks, asset managers, pension funds and insurers) and FTSE 100 companies to develop and implement credible transition plans that align with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement”.

This consultation seeks views on how the government should take forward this commitment in a way that:

• supports an orderly transition in line with global climate goals
• enhances transparency for investors and promotes efficient capital allocation
• supports companies in capturing the opportunities from the global net zero transition
• supports the growth of the UK’s financial services industry by ensuring its sustainable finance framework is internationally competitive and maintains the UK’s status as a global financial hub.?

This consultation closes on 17 September 2025.

Climate-related transition plan requirements - GOV.UK