The green, green grass of home

Empty promises

Self build groups in line for £30m of funding

Grant Shapps has announced a £30 million pot to promote self-build will go to groups building homes at the same time.

Going Dutch

Grand Designs presenter attacks green deal row

Celebrity green architect and TV presenter Kevin McCloud has waded into the row over reports the government will scrap plans to link building regulations with the government’s flagship energy efficiency programme, the green deal.

Empty homes campaigner attacks squatting plans

The presenter of a Channel 4 programme highlighting the ‘scandal’ of empty homes has slammed government plans to criminalise squatting.

Doing it themselves

Help is at hand for low-income tenants keen to follow the Highland tradition of self-building. Clare Harris reports

Solving the land puzzle

If organisations share buildings the leftover sites can be pieced together for development, says Alan Stokes

Ageing sustainably

By 2020 China will have more than 260 million people over the age of 65. Here, Jess McCabe gets a glimpse at how the country plans to house some of them in a giant, retirement eco-city

How to...

Social landlords can play a big role in improving the energy efficiency of the nation’s homes. But they must lobby hard to ensure ministers understand that they will need support to do so, says Martin Wheatley

A problem shared

Sharing views on retrofit with a group of landlords across Europe has been invaluable, says Richard Baines