Town and parish councils should be aware of an important legislative change affecting councillors' Register of Interests from 29 June 2026.

Under Section 65 of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 and Section 32A of the Localism Act 2011, councillors will no longer be legally required to display their usual residential address (home address) on the publicly accessible Register of Interests.

This change is intended to provide councillors with greater control over the publication of their personal information while maintaining transparency regarding other relevant interests.

What does this mean for councillors?

Councillors now have the following options:

Option 1 – Continue displaying their home address

If a councillor is content for their home address to remain visible on the publicly accessible Register of Interests, no action is required. They will be deemed to have requested that their home address continues to be displayed.

Option 2 – Home address already withheld as a sensitive interest

Where a councillor's home address has previously been withheld because it was agreed with the Monitoring Officer that it constituted a sensitive interest, no further action is required. The address will continue to be withheld from public view.

Option 3 – Remove their home address from the public register

Councillors who wish to remove their home address from the publicly accessible Register of Interests must update their Register of Interests on or after 29 June 2026.

When completing the relevant section relating to land and property interests (DPI 5), councillors should remove their home address and replace it with the statement:

"Home address is withheld under Section 32A of the Localism Act 2011."

Important Exception

This change applies only to a councillor's usual residential address.

Any other land or property interests within the council area must still be declared and remain publicly available. This includes, for example:

• Investment properties

• Buy-to-let properties

• Vacant land or buildings

• Any other property in which the councillor or their spouse/partner has a beneficial interest

These interests must continue to be recorded under DPI 5 and cannot be withheld from the public register.

Action for Councils

We would encourage councils to make their councillors aware of this change and the options available to them. Clerks may also wish to review local guidance and procedures to ensure councillors understand how to update their Register of Interests should they choose to withhold their home address.

Councillors who are unsure how this change affects their individual circumstances should seek advice from their Monitoring Officer.