The UK government has not provided a timeline for when public access to large-scale land ownership information in England and Wales will become freely available, leaving details about land ownership largely undisclosed.

In March, Emma Reynolds, the former Secretary of State for the Environment, announced plans to partially lift the paywall on data held by HM Land Registry, the government department responsible for recording land ownership. The move was intended to increase transparency around large landholdings, which include sensitive areas such as river catchments, grouse moors, and peatlands, and aimed to hold substantial landowners more accountable.

However, Reynolds did not specify when this change would take place. HM Land Registry operates as an arm’s-length body under the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which has further complicated the decision-making process.

Following the announcement, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) pledged to collaborate with HM Land Registry "this year" to provide free access to spatial land ownership data for larger properties, encompassing most of England and Wales while excluding nearly all residential homeowners.

Despite this commitment, further consultations appear likely. A spokesperson for HM Land Registry told reporters in July that the agency supports efforts to promote more effective land use but that plans remain in early development. The spokesperson said various aspects of data release would require public consultation before concrete decisions could be made. They added that more detailed updates were expected early next year.

In August, Land Registry representatives acknowledged ongoing uncertainty around which parts of the registry’s data would be made publicly accessible, who would have access, and what channels would be used for distribution.

Environmental campaigners have expressed frustration over the lack of progress. Guy Shrubsole, author of *Who Owns England?* and a vocal advocate for localism, emphasized the importance of transparent land ownership data for empowering local communities. Shrubsole referenced the agenda set by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, underlining that open access to land ownership information is essential to his government's commitment to "place-first politics" and ensuring accountability among government agencies.

A spokesperson for Defra reiterated the department’s commitment to improving transparency, stating that it continues to advance efforts to make land ownership data freely accessible for a majority of large properties while promising additional details will be provided as the project evolves.