John Prescott launched his Communities Plan last month as the next stage of the government&amp;’s promise to deliver a &amp;“step change&amp;” in housing supply. Called Sustainable communities: building for the future, it sets out the ODPM&amp;’s strategy for allocating the &amp;£22 billion of treasury funding for the development of 200,000 homes in the South East and regeneration in the North. <p></p><p> The Thames Gateway, Milton Keynes, the London-Stansted-Cambridge corridor and Ashford have been selected to take the bulk of new homes over the next 15-20 years. Development in the Thames Gateway will be kick-started with a seed corn investment of &amp;£446 million, while &amp;£164 million has been designated for the three other &amp;“priority growth areas&amp;”.</p><p> In regions of housing market collapse in the North and Midlands, nine Pathfinder regeneration areas have been earmarked for regeneration funding of &amp;£500 million for the next three years, additional to the &amp;£5 billion already allocated.</p><p> Prescott has stressed that higher densities and brownfield development are the key government objectives for housing. &amp;“We want to see better designed, higher density accommodation, not the executive four-bedroom house,&amp;” he said. </p><p> These policies will be advanced through nine new Regional Housing Boards - comprising public and private …