Store 04

Building regulations approval in Kent: £360 plus £660 on full plans, £1,275 to regularise later, and councils now have 10 years to make you undo it.

Kent’s council reorganisation is paused, a staged-payment app arrives for home improvement work, and heat pump grant bids hit a record 8,150 in July.

Air source vs ground source heat pump: median installs cost £13,021 and £26,200 in 2025/26, both with a £7,500 grant. When the dearer one pays off.

Permitted development rights let a detached house extend 8m to the rear. The real limits, the £249 prior approval, the 42-day clock and where Kent differs.