Building houses will not make them more affordable . . yet.

"Silly Kaz. It's supply and demand. You make more to meet demand and then prices some down. Economics 101".

This is true. But lets look back at what caused the increase in house price rises. Was it the demand for a home . . or the demand for an investment?

In the mid 90's property started to sky-rocket. But something had happened. Banks started lending more. Then an investment phenomenon took place. What was once reserved for the social elite became a game all would play. If you buy a house and rent it out you can re-mortgage in two years and buy another one using the increase in value as a deposit, and rent that out . . and so on and so on.

This lasted nearly just over years.

In the rush anyone looking to purchase or upgrade their property would stretch as far as they could go, why not, the more they borrowed the more they would profit from percentile property value increases.

Some of us re-mortgaged out some money for improvements a few years later? I paid the lion share of my wedding and got some double glazing. Property inflation became an income.

2008 comes and where is the big crash with properties for perhaps 15% below their peak, still massively over valued in relation to salaries, and build costs, but any lower and the banks safe deposit of housing will be too small. Having lent out 10 x real money in circulation (see fractional reserve banking) there was simply not enough money in actual existence to cope with any shrinkage.

So house prices will be kept high.

Exportable labor salaries will shrink towards those of the most down trodden globally.

The rich and developers will acquire land and do whatever it takes to change its usage rights to as many residential units as possible, each and every unit permit being worth £100k+.

Houses are not going to get cheaper, and the way planning works means a few already rich investors will pocket the overspend of new home owners.

The simple way of eliminating spin and corruption led development is for a council to choose strategic locations and compulsory purchase them for what they are worth without planning permission. Then invite developers to bid for the public consultation and and design phase.
Then invite businesses to bid for various aspect of the build.

The profit to the councils will be smaller than the efficiency of the developer, but efficiency and 1 person getting rich is not a good thing.

The council should get a bit more money towards infrastructure and smaller local companies will be able to get in on the act in a sustainable manner.

Building houses will not make them cheaper, with this planning permission system the money just makes the rich richer and encourages corruption.