This month's edition of Public matters covers key legal, regulatory, and policy developments affecting UK public sector bodies: including local government reorganisation, construction and procurement, employment rights, and wider public law reform, set against a backdrop of continued structural change across central and local government.

National Planning Policy Framework 2026 published

The UK government has announced changes to planning policy in England as part of its ambition to ramp up new housing and infrastructure developments. Our team of planning lawyers, which works with both public and private sector clients, respond to the new NPPF.

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Firm named on Government Commercial Agency’s legal panel for public sector

Browne Jacobson has secured a place on the Government Commercial Agency's new legal panel, reinforcing its position as a go-to firm for complex public sector legal work across health, education, local government and beyond.

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How Andy Burnham's social care revolution could play out

Andy Burnham enters Downing Street with a rare asset - a working model of social care reform built in Greater Manchester. But can 'Manchesterism' scale to a national system that has defeated every predecessor who tried?

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Government Legal Department (GLD) online training

From October 2026 to February 2027

This six-month training programme has been designed exclusively for central GLD teams by Browne Jacobson, a Government Commercial Agency panel firm (previously CCS), with deep expertise in public sector law. Each session is tailored to your unique legal context, ensuring the content is immediately applicable to your day-to-day work.

Course structure

The programme comprises four webinars delivered between October 2026 and February 2027:

• Modernisation and evaluation in procurement: 1 October 2026.
• An introduction to legal project management: 24 November 2026.
• A practical examination of judicial review: 8 December 2026.
• The art of the difficult conversation: 25 February 2027.

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Welsh construction £2m+: New social public works clauses

Welsh public bodies and contractors entering into construction or outsourcing contracts with Welsh Government and Welsh public bodies need to be aware of the new socially responsible reporting duties, the new model clauses for works contracts over £2m and the public services outsourcing and workforce code.

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Local government reorganisation and construction contracts

For both outgoing and successor authorities involved in long-term public sector construction projects, reorganisation creates a deceptively straightforward problem: the entity that signed the contract may cease to exist, yet the obligations it has assumed do not. Without adequate contractual protection and governance preparation, questions may arise over the allocation of liability, continuity of performance and financial exposure.

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Scope of new limitation regime confined to sexual abuse claims

In a landmark ruling, the High Court has confirmed that the Crime and Policing Act 2026's new limitation-free regime for abuse claims applies only to sexual abuse allegations, not to physical abuse pursued in the same proceedings. Here is what that means for defendants and insurers.

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Employment Rights Act updates

Our Employment Rights Act hub brings together all of our latest insights and guidance in one place, helping you stay informed and prepared for the changes ahead.

Are you ready for the Autumn 2026 changes?

Online session | Tuesday 22 September 2026 | 10am - 1pm

A significant wave of reforms arrives in October 2026, with further changes following in January 2027, affecting organisations of every size and across every sector.

Join our expert employment lawyers for essential insight into what's changing, when it's happening and, crucially, what employers need to do to prepare.

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Augustine v Data Cars Ltd: Supreme Court confirms scope of protection from discrimination afforded to part-time workers

The Supreme Court’s (“SC”) decision in Augustine v Data Cars Ltd [2026] UKSC 30 provides welcome clarity on the scope of this protection; must a worker show that their part-time status was the sole reason for the less favourable treatment, or merely an effective cause (i.e. a significant influence) of it?

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Dealing with offensive language in the workplace

Whilst the law protects individuals from hate speech, harassment and discrimination, employees are not necessarily entitled to a workplace free from views, opinions or language they find objectionable. This means that not every complaint about offensive language will – or should – result in disciplinary action.

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Protected belief: Miller v The University of Bristol [2026] EAT 84

What should an employer do when an employee says something that is both offensive and protected? That is a question that has challenged courts and judges a great deal in recent years. 

On 4 August 2026, we received the latest instalment in a series of judicial decisions addressing the issue: the judgment of the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in Miller v The University of Bristol. 

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Acas’ new draft Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures

Acas has published a new draft Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures (the 'draft Code of Practice') and has launched a consultation on it which remains open until 23 September 2026. 

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Workplace monitoring consultation 2026: Employer guide

Are you monitoring your employees? If the answer is 'yes', or even 'to some degree', a new government consultation launched on 8 July 2026 deserves your attention. It could fundamentally change the rules of the game.

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