Robert Rowlands

Neighbours undertaking building work do not automatically have the right to enter adjoining land, install scaffolding on it, or build across a boundary. Access should generally be agreed in advance, boundary positions clarified before work begins, and neighbours remain responsible for damage caused by construction. Homeowners are advised to document the condition of their property before work starts and to establish clear arrangements with the neighbouring owner or builders.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is due to spend much of August touring the UK in a “listening mode” exercise focused on the cost of living, high streets and the development of a 10-year national plan. The government is expected to announce further measures to ease household bills, following energy-cost reductions and a £2 bus-fare cap. Inflation remains a major public concern, heightened by the economic effects of the Iran war. Reform UK’s Robert Jenrick criticized the plans as insufficient and called for the removal of green levies and energy taxes, no tax rises in October, and cuts to benefits spending.