Kent’s council shake-up has been put on hold, the government has launched a code and a staged-payment app aimed at cowboy builders, and heat pump grant applications hit a record in July. Here is what changed in the past fortnight and what it means if you are planning work on your home.
Kent and Medway council reorganisation paused
On 7 September the government announced that local government reorganisation in Kent and Medway is to be paused and reviewed alongside 13 other areas. The plan would have abolished Kent’s councils in 2028 and replaced them with new unitary authorities. Local elections in May 2027 will now go ahead on existing council boundaries.
“Today’s unexpected announcement is very disappointing,” said Cllr Vince Maple, Leader of Medway Council. “It is unclear at this stage what the timetable and next steps will be.” Kent County Council said council leaders across the county would be seeking clarity from the government.
Why it matters to you: nothing changes for a planning application in the meantime. Your borough or district council, or Medway Council, remains the planning authority for extensions, loft conversions and conservation area work, so if you were holding off on an application to see who would decide it, there is no reason to wait.
Sources: Medway Council, 7 September 2026 and Kent County Council statement.
A code and staged payments to tackle cowboy builders
On 28 August the government announced an Approved Code for home improvement businesses, run by the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, and a Trusted Payments app that links payments to key project milestones. Its figures: more than one in four UK adults who had home improvement work done in the past 18 months had problems, 37% of those faced extra costs averaging £750, and people lost over £10.3 billion on home and garden maintenance in 2024.
“Your home is the biggest investment you make,” said Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds. According to the release, the app was due to go live the following week, and the code is due to be fully live by December 2026. The roofing federation NFRC backed the idea but cautioned that a payment system “must not place an unreasonable administrative or financial burden on contractors who are simply trying to get paid fairly for work they have completed.”
Why it matters to you: on a roof, an extension or a new kitchen, the biggest exposure is a large deposit paid before work starts. Once the scheme is running, ask any firm you are considering whether it will take payment through the app or agree staged payments tied to finished stages. Both schemes are voluntary, so a firm that has not signed up is not automatically a bad one.
Sources: GOV.UK, 28 August 2026 and NFRC response.
Heat pump grant applications hit a record 8,150 in July
Government figures published on 27 August, and reported by The Eco Experts on 3 September, show a record 8,150 applications for Boiler Upgrade Scheme vouchers in July, an 81% increase on June. Earlier this year the grant was raised from £7,500 to £9,000 for households on heating oil or LPG, and The Eco Experts puts much of the surge down to those households being hit by rising fossil fuel prices.
Why it matters to you: a lot of rural Kent is off the gas grid and heats with oil or LPG. If that is you and you want a heat pump running before winter, book surveys now: a jump in applications means installer diaries fill faster in the run-up to the heating season.
Sources: The Eco Experts, 3 September 2026 and DESNZ, Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics: July 2026.
Thanet starts its new Local Plan: 15,000 homes over 15 years
Thanet District Council has begun work on a new Local Plan, the document that allocates land for housing and employment, with a first consultation that closes at 5pm on Friday 9 October. The council’s starting point is a government-calculated minimum housing need of 1,106 homes a year, which makes it a blueprint for 15,000 homes over a decade and a half. Drop-in sessions are at the council’s Cecil Street offices in Margate on Wednesday 23 September, 1pm to 7pm, and Friday 2 October, 9am to 4.30pm.
“Starting this new Local Plan is an important milestone for our district,” said council leader Cllr Rick Everitt.
Why it matters to you: a Local Plan decides where new homes go and sets the policies planners apply to applications across the district. If you live in Thanet, this first stage, on the plan’s vision and aims, is the easiest point at which to influence it.
Source: KentOnline, 28 August 2026.
