Increased housebuilding is not as straightforward as seems to be made out. The problem occurs not with planners but with the house builders themselves. It used to be the case that when planning permission was granted for development there was a 5 year limit within which this had to be taken up otherwise the permission would lapse. This was later reduced to 3 years. A pretty common occurance was for house builders to obtain permission but not necessarily implement the development. They would very often build up land banks and wait until circumstances were most favourable for them to build. If a planning permission has not been implemented it is a relatively straightforward process to extend the time limit within which it can be taken up. Developers are not at all obliged to build. It is their choice. Having housing targets is OK but even when areas and numbers are identified, set down and agreed it does not guarantee that building will actually take place