- Domestic solar permitted development is being rewritten — what changes on 27 August 2026
The GPDO Amendment Order 2026 rewrites permitted development rights for domestic solar in England from 27 August 2026, splitting the rules for houses and flats, adding protrusion and height limits, and formally defining plug-in solar.
- Biodiversity Net Gain just got lighter for small sites — what changed on 6 August
New BNG exemptions took effect on 6 August 2026 — most notably a 0.2-hectare exemption that lifts mandatory BNG from the smallest developments — but they apply only to planning applications made from that date.
- The EPC is being rebuilt — four metrics, and the Home Energy Model behind it
Reformed domestic EPCs will carry four headline metrics — energy cost, fabric performance, heating system and smart readiness — produced via HEM. Launch is now the second half of 2027, with a shared implementation plan due in summer 2026.
- TM59 has been rewritten — what the 2026 overheating methodology changes
CIBSE TM59:2026 introduces a passive-first three-stage method, four assessment criteria and a rewritten bedroom night-time test. Approved Document O still references the 2017 edition — so mind the gap.
- The Building Safety Levy goes live on 1 October — what developers and Building Control need to know
England's Building Safety Levy starts 1 October 2026: a per-square-metre charge on major residential developments, collected via Building Control, with the completion certificate withheld until it's paid.
- A water label for taps and showers is coming — and it lands next to Part G
A mandatory A–F water efficiency label for water-using products is due by end of 2026. What it covers, where it stands, and how it lines up with the Part G reform.
- Part G is heading for 105 litres — and the water industry has backed it
Water UK has backed Defra's proposed cut from 125 to 105 l/p/d. The government response is still awaited, with implementation intended during 2026 and a six-month transition.
- Your window U-values are about to get harder (and more honest)
ADL 2026 ends the standard-size window U-value. From March 2027, values must reflect each product's real dimensions — nudging figures upward and closing the design-vs-reality gap.
- The Nature Restoration Fund just took its first legal step
The first Nature Restoration Fund regulations are laid, paving the way for a pay-a-levy alternative to site-by-site nutrient neutrality. What it changes — and what hasn't changed yet.
- The Future Homes Standard is real — what ADL 2026 changes
What Approved Document L 2026 actually changes — the dates, the new rules, and why thermal bridging matters more than ever.
- The Home Energy Model just hit snooze (and that's fine)
The Home Energy Model launch is delayed; SAP 10.3 remains the only FHS compliance route. Why that's good news, and what to prep now.
News & regulatory updates
The bits of UK building-compliance regulation that actually affect your projects — decoded by working assessors, minus the jargon and the doom-mongering.
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