Do You Still Need Biodiversity Net Gain for Your Self-Build? Why Plot Size Now Decides
For years, building your own home carried a quiet exemption from biodiversity rules, simply by virtue of being a self-builder. That exemption has just been removed, replaced with something stricter: a line drawn at 0.2 hectares. Here's what the change actually means for your plot, and why the answer now turns on land, not intent.
Can AI Design Your Extension? What AI House-Plan Generators Get Right — and What They Miss
Type a sentence, get a floor plan. It's genuinely useful — right up to the point it matters most. Here's our honest look at what AI house-plan generators do well, and what they quietly leave out of a once-in-a-lifetime extension.
Paragraph 84: Building an Exceptional Home in the Countryside
There is a clause in national planning policy that rewards exactly one thing: a building genuinely worth having changed the view. Here is what it actually asks of a design, and of the people making it.
Building or Extending in Jersey vs the UK Mainland: Key Differences
Jersey looks close enough to the mainland that people assume the rules travel with the ferry. They don't. Here's what's genuinely different about building or extending a home on the island.
What Is "Grey Belt" in Planning — and Where Does It Apply?
Not all Green Belt is equal, and national policy now says so in writing. Here's what "grey belt" really means, where it shows up locally, and why a plot's postcode alone won't tell you if it qualifies.
Is There Really a Self-Build "Fast-Track" in the New NPPF?
A new clause in national planning policy is being talked about as a hidden door for self-builders. We went and read it. The real story is more useful than the myth, just less exciting.
NPPF August 2026: What the new planning rules mean for you
Somewhere between a government press release and a 130-page document, most homeowners lost the thread. Here's the version written for the people actually living through it.
Peak District Local Plan 2026: Consultation Open Now — What to Know
The document that will shape what can be built across the Peak District for the next decade is open for comment right now. Here's what it is, in plain English, and why it's worth ten minutes of your time.
Are Permitted Development Rules Changing in 2026? What's Actually True
Search "permitted development 2026" and you'll find a dozen confident articles about rules that haven't actually changed. We sorted out what's true, what's proposed, and what's already different if you live in the Peak District.
Building in Jersey: A Mainland Practice’s Guide to Island Planning
Jersey Architecture: A mainland practice's honest guide to its planning system, its property market, and what building well on an island actually asks of you.
Biodiversity Net Gain 2026: What It Means for Homeowners
Most extensions were never affected by Biodiversity Net Gain — and the rules for new builds and self-build plots just changed again. What the August 2026 amendments actually mean, beyond the headlines.