Housing minister John Healey described the chancellor’s measures as “a new deal for housebuilders”, delivering a more robust five year land supply, a plan to release public sector land, collaboration on innovation and cutting regulation. Speaking at a joint New Homes Marketing Board / Smith Institute event he said that the new deal should include ending the current housing revenue account system and allowing councils more scope to borrow against income streams or assets. And RSLs should have more freedom potentially to make better use of their assets and recycle savings or income.<br> <br> Earlier NHMB chairman David Pretty had called for an increase in the supply of permissioned land. “There is plenty of room for new entrants into the housing sector,” he said, “as well as a big increase in council building and growth in the private rented sector. At the same time we also want larger homes and more houses and less flats which means development at lower densities. If we want all this then the supply of permissioned land, both brownfield and greenfield, just has to be increased.” <br>