Propertymark has urged Northern Ireland’s Department for Communities to revise the Warm Healthy Homes Fund so that support for private rented homes is based on the property’s energy efficiency rather than the tenant’s income. It argues that the current approach could exclude some of the least efficient homes from funding, even where improvement is most needed.
Gilbert Ash has been appointed main contractor for the £40m refurbishment of RIBA’s Grade II*-listed headquarters at 66 Portland Place in London. The scheme is part of RIBA’s wider House of Architecture programme and will include upgrades to building services, the external envelope, accessibility, fire safety, environmental performance and health and safety, with the project positioned as a pilot for the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard.
The Environment Agency has updated guidance on current and future bans on fluorinated gases (F gases) in new products and equipment in Great Britain. The notice sets out prohibited uses, enforcement consequences, reporting routes for banned items, and the process for seeking exemptions, including for certain air conditioning and heat pump systems, insulation foam, aerosols and refrigeration uses.
Prospect Homes GB is seeking a screening opinion for a proposed 103-home scheme off Northway in Maghull, within Sefton Council’s area. The developer argues the 15.3-acre site is unlikely to require a full Environmental Impact Assessment, citing its relationship to existing urban infrastructure and the inclusion of drainage, ecology and biodiversity measures.
