<b><b>The industry has welcomed John Prescott&amp;’s Communities Plan but still has several reservations. Allison Heller gauges the reaction.</b></b><br><b><br> </b><br>John Prescott&amp;’s new Communities Plan has been broadly welcomed by the housebuilding industry as a long-awaited move by government to deal with the housing supply crisis through policy-making and funding. <p></p><p> But housebuilders still have concerns about the government&amp;’s desire to enforce high densities across the board, the power of new regional quangos and the threat of increased planning gain requirements. </p><p> The Deputy Prime Minster admitted that the amount of infrastructure funding needed to support the Plan is &amp;“quite phenomenal&amp;” and housebuilders&amp;’ fears that more onerous demands will be made on them have been heightened by housing minister Tony McNulty&amp;’s comment that &amp;“some work is being done on raising money for infrastructure from property owners benefiting from this.&amp;” </p><p> Housebuilder&amp;’s economics editor, John Stewart, underlines some of the concerns of the industry in this month&amp;’s Viewpoint(read article).</p><p> &amp;“The detail of the report suggests the private sector&amp;’s contribution is at best viewed as a necessary evil. Almost all the discussion revolves around the provision of affordable housing and public sector mechanisms to increase land and housing supply.&amp;”</p><p> And the House Builders Federation …