Who will build the thousands of homes pledged by the Government?
SIR – It is encouraging to see the Government acknowledging the role of transport infrastructure in the delivery of new homes (report, November 23). With the right infrastructure in place, developers will be more inclined to commit to sites previously overlooked, stimulating housing supply and urban renewal projects.
However, the question of who is going to build the new homes pledged by the Government remains an issue. As it stands, housebuilders are building at capacity and struggling to recruit skilled workers. Priority must be given to a government-backed scheme which encourages people to work in the housing sector, helping to meet rising demand. Justin Gaze
Joint head of residential development Knight Frank
London W1
SIR – Could the Chancellor explain how public services – such as schools, hospitals and GP surgeries – will cope with the construction of high-rise flats all over the country?
A receptionist at my GP practice recently informed me that they have more than 13,000 patients on their books – and they are not allowed to close them. Gordon Moser
Ilford, Essex
SIR – Unless the planning system can be modified, the Government has no chance of making houses affordable.
The cost of submitting an outline planning application for 1,500 houses amounts to £840,000. This process involves 14 or more different consultants on matters ranging from bats to road surveys. The local authority will then take nine months to determine the application.
If planning permission is granted, the council will then want a detailed planning application and a contribution to the local road network, schools, doctor’s surgeries, local facilities, affordable homes and anything else they decide can be gold-plated. The whole process can take three years from submitting a planning application to the land being shovel-ready. Peter Hague
Chichester, West Sussex
SIR – Brendan Sarsfield, the chief executive of the housing association Peabody (Business, November 20), is quite right that off-site construction methods should be used to address the housing crisis.
Many countries successfully use this type of construction, which is quicker and cheaper, de-skills much of the work involved and yields a superior product. Tony Ellis
Northwood, Middlesex
SIR – We know pod housing can be built and connected to services very cheaply, so why are developers not doing so? After all, we built thousands of prefabs rapidly after the Second World War. Charlotte Joseph
Lawford, Essex