Listening to Radio Four this morning it was interesting to hear that Ed Balls was quoted as saying that Britain needs 100,000 new affordable homes. Other comments alluded to the National House Builders sitting on land with planning permission as being one cause for the housing shortage.
Whilst I accept that House Builders do land bank as a way of assuring a pipeline for future development it should be remembered that we are emerging from a very deep recession and it is surely ridiculous to suggest that house builders should build homes they cannot sell.
We need funds for mortgages freed up and new innovative ways for young people to get on the housing ladder and it is the lack of joined up thinking that is the problem not any one isolated item.

CREATE A COMMUNITY NOT JUST SOME HOUSES

We certainly do need more affordable homes Ed and factually more than you quote. In my estimate if we had another 300,000 affordable homes spread across the Country we would begin to see a balancing of communities. This is the major thing that is missing from new developments, that of creating communities.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

Houses are merely a place to keep you warm and dry. Homes are where the heart is and it is for that reason that new developments must concentrate on creating a community rather than just a number of houses. Places where people feel they belong rather than somewhere they shelter from the rain just off the A38! This requires joined up thinking so come on Dave pay some attention to the creation of communities and let’s really create Our Big Society.