Home

This article considers data centre development projects in England and focuses on the treatment of these milestones in land, development, funding and occupational documents.

On 6 July 2026 the Government published a revised National Policy Statement for Ports (NPSFP), replacing the one designated in 2012. It keeps the same basic architecture, a presumption in favour of consent and a market-led approach, but builds on it in ways that matter for anyone bringing forward port capacity. Offshore wind gets real policy weight for the first time, hydrogen and ammonia are named as commodities ports should plan for, and the need case now runs to 2050.

At the start of July 2026, the government published its responses to two earlier consultations on reducing  the scope of work subject to the higher-risk building (HRB) regime (Consultation outcome: Proportionality in building control: categorisation of higher-risk building work and Consultation Outcome: Improving proportionality and safety outcomes in building control: telecommunications work) and also launched a new consultation on the application of the HRB regime to emergency repairs (Consultation: Improving proportionality and building safety outcomes in building control: emergency repairs under the higher-risk building regime). Alongside this, it announced new funding to support the remediation of unsafe cladding on multi-occupied residential buildings under 11 metres in England (Guidance: Buildings under 11 metres: new funding and Guidance: Buildings under 11 metres: leaseholders' and residents' guide).  This Insight considers the key takeaways from each of these developments.