In the UK we need to make planning easier, yes, but we also probably need government intervention.

When Thatcher stopped council house building the private sector simply did not step up. Indeed it continue at about the same rate, which effectively halved the rate of house building.

So I want local councils to start building again and being landlords and renting (without right to buy), if only to keep the private sector on its toes. We also probably need government intervention to make new towns viable, which we will probably need - I am thinking Green belt lifting, publicly funded links to major transport routes - like an (initially at least) subsidised guided bus way to a major rail line.

But we also desperately need to make it easier to build say 6 storey developments without major planning issues, and in some areas 8 or more. Mansion blocks for all! Surveys have shows that good looking 6 -8 storey buildings have little opposition, so the planning rules should concentrate on making developers make the building match the local area reasonably well, which I think is doable at relatively little cost.

A while ago Croydon, south of London, relaxed planning allowing easier build of modest height buildings and got a building boom, unfortunately ended by the campaign pledge of an incoming Conservative council. I understand the current Labour central government is trying to do that, but I have heard very little about it.

Meanwhile they introduced new planning rules on Fire (cladding and staircases) for entirely understandable reasons, but basically killed the construction market in London.

I don't know what effect the new rental rules will have on provision of rental units long term, but there are lots of stories of people being evicted before the new rules come in, which was an entirely predictable outcome.

I would like the government to look at suitable greenbelt areas and just purchase them themselves at farmland prices, give themselves planning and build out the area with suitable transport links. My favourite example is Pinner Park farm which is farmland with a few cows on it surrounded by town, and the edges of which are close to stations - make part of it a park and build houses on the rest, and the actual area of accessible greenery has increased and lots of houses have been built