The government has been urged to act on housing quality, painting London's roofs white could reduce city temperatures, and a plumber and designer launch free leads app
The government is being urged to do more to ensure that ‘new build’ homes are good quality and fit for the future.
In an open letter to the housing minister, a cross-party group of MPs also expressed concerns that new build homes are not designed to mitigate the risk of overheating.
The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee (HCLG) has been gathering evidence on build quality and the level of dissatisfaction among homeowners.
Florence Eshalomi, MP and committee chair, said more had to be done to improve the quality of Britain’s new build homes.
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Painting London’s roofs white could reduce heat-related deaths by 32% a year, claim university researchers.
Experts from University College of London and the University of Exeter estimate that painting roofs a lighter shade would reduce the ground-level air temperature by 0.8 °C.
Covering the capital’s roofs with solar panels will also help cool the city.
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A plumber has joined forces with a designer to develop an app that provides free leads for tradespeople.
Phixed, developed by Chris Briggs and plumber Dan Culliford connects trades with customers in the Bristol area, without having to pay a subscription fee.
If successful, the pair hope to expand Phixed across the South West.
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