<b></b><p></p><p>Call me controversial if you like, but I&amp;’m not convinced that planners can be blamed for all the problems of housing undersupply in the UK. Imagine, for a moment, actually being a planner in a local authority (bear with me on this, I know it&amp;’s painful). </p><p>The people you bump into in the pub, in the shops, at dinner parties etc, don&amp;’t want large scale new housing in the area - and they let you know. </p><p>There are no effective sanctions if you do not release land for housing, while PPG3 and other documents give you a multitude of reasons to delay a new development. Most planners are going to take the easy option and opt for the quiet life.</p><p>That is why we need the government to intervene. There are signs that all interested parties - politicians, the press, analysts - have recognised that we face a massive housing crisis. </p><p>So the government needs to take the decision out of the hands of local authorities and get some homes built - either through tougher sanctions for authorities that miss targets or through more direct action. </p><p>That way, the poor planner can face his neighbours in the pub and blame the …