Spotlight: Boost for UK carbon capture, new towns proposals and fresh moves to streamline planning

ENERGY

📰 Labour Conference Starmer told to back UK industries | Energy Live News

📰 Electricity Networks Sector Growth Plan developed | Transport + Energy

✒️ MESH confirmed as project of national significance | London Stock Exchange

📰 Miliband gives EnergyPathways MESH project significant boost | Energy Voice

✒️ Great British Energy to extend solar scheme to military sites | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP

✒️ Pioneering carbon capture projects ready for construction | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Michael Shanks MP and The Rt Hon Jo Stevens MP

📰 Two new carbon capture projects have launched, creating 500 clean energy jobs | Open Access Government

✒️ Green Freeport boost for Highlands | Scotland Office and The Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP

📰 Tidal stream energy is set to make waves | The Scotsman

📰 Analysis: Great Britain has run on 100% clean power for record 87 hours in 2025 so far | Carbon Brief

📰 Blackouts will happen more often unless grids are rebuilt fast | Energy Live News

📰 NESO updates connections reform timetable | reNews

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‍ INFRASTRUCTURE

✒️ Consultation on streamlining infrastructure planning (updated) | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

✒️ Over £4 million government backing for next-gen aviation technology projects |

Department for Transport, Innovate UK and Keir Mather MP

📰 Thames Water lenders submit rescue plan to stave off collapse | BBC News

📰 Renewable Microgrids: Cheaper Power for UK Data Centres | edie

📰 Europe's plan to supercharge its research and technology facilities | Innovation News

✒️ Next train services to return to public ownership revealed as government delivers railways reset | Department for Transport

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DEVELOPMENT

✒️ Expert Taskforce recommends locations for new towns | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

📰 The Labour Conference’s ‘Big Construction Debate’ tackles issues within the industry | pbc

📰 Sector leaders welcome new towns announcement but warn of viability and infrastructure challenges | Building (paywall)

📰 UK fifth-worst country in Europe for loss of green space to development | The Guardian

📰 Housing minister denies government has tasked Tory peer with writing second planning bill | Building (paywall)

📰 ‘Thousands’ of homes at risk of not being built because of section 106 impasse, HBF warns  | Building (paywall)

📰 Labour conference 2025: Housing secretary puts style over substance while Starmer takes aim at Reform | Building (paywall)

📰 ‘Metropolitan Open Land can’t be grey belt’, says planning silk | Planning Resource (paywall)