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A suite of new and updated NSIP planning guidance was published on 3 July 2026 to support the raft of DCO reforms introduced by the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 (PIA) which come into force on 24 July 2026. As we discussed in our previous Insight, among of the headline reforms is a fundamental shift in the approach to pre-application consultation. The current statutory requirements will be replaced by a non-statutory approach, guided by new guidance issued under section 50 of the Planning Act 2008 (2008 Act). That guidance, previously a notable gap in the reform framework, has now been published within this suite of updates. Its publication completes the information picture ahead of the 24 July commencement date. In this Insight we examine this new guidance and what applicants will need to consider in navigating these significant procedural adjustments.

In this BCLP Insight, first published in PLC Construction, Zaynah Mirza considers the new requirement for second staircases in residential buildings introduced by amendments to Approved Document B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/2214).

Across the UK, workplaces are buzzing with football fever. This has only increased now England are facing Norway at the weekend. But alongside the excitement sit certain obligations that employers cannot afford to ignore. This is particularly relevant where employers are hosting viewing events, sending staff to supporter hospitality, and, for those in the hospitality and events sectors, fielding teams of workers at packed venues. Spirits will be high, and alcohol will be available. This sounds like fun, but the combination of alcohol, high-spirited groups of workers, and third-party venues can be as unpredictable and dangerous for employers as a penalty shootout.

M&A involving FCA and PRA-regulated firms requires careful consideration of regulatory issues that can materially affect transaction timing, valuation and execution risk. Against a backdrop of heightened supervisory intensity — including the post-Consumer Duty landscape, increased use of tools like the VREQ and growing EU/UK divergence — acquirers should focus on the following five areas from the earliest stages of deal planning.

From 24 July 2026, most of the remaining changes to the DCO process introduced by the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 will come into force. These changes represent the most significant overhaul of the NSIP consenting regime since its introduction, and include the well-publicised removal of the statutory pre-application consultation requirements, which is the focus of this Insight, along with a raft of other changes.