The Conversation: House building targets in England must avoid creating a north-south divide

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The UK government recently proposed a series of reforms for the planning system in England, including the use of a new algorithm to estimate where to build 300,000 new homes each year.

It appears to suggest that a lot more houses should be built in the south of England – and a reduction in house building targets in some northern areas. This has caused a furore among politicians, industry bodies and local government associations, with claims that the reforms will lead to too many houses being built in the south and too few in the north.