Communities in inner-city and deprived areas are going to get a major cash injection of £18,000 for neighbourhood planning. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick’s announcement follows criticism that government proposals to shake-up the planning system will undermine democracy. The government also announced it is providing neighbourhoods access to free technical expertise for topics such as assessing their area’s housing needs or developing masterplans. Mr Jenrick said: “The government is overhauling the country’s outdated planning system to deliver the high-quality sustainable homes [...]

Builders must sign up for a government-backed seal of approval to take part in the new £2bn green home retrofit grants going live at the end of September. It is hoped the initiative will generate 100,000 new jobs as over 600,000 households in England are expected to take up the vouchers, worth up to £5,000, to install insulation, heat pumps, draft proofing. The chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “This is a vital part of our plan for jobs as we secure [...]