I believe, as has also been pointed out in the Romsey Advertiser (October 25),  that there is a serious threat of speculators intervening in the planning process: who regard a planning approval as a financial instrument to be operated as such rather than the authorisation to build houses.

The Council must retain the legal authority for the control of housing. If this control is passed to speculators, who have a different agenda, it would be catastrophic. The flow of house builds to the market could be slowed, speeded up, or turned on or off at will and outside Council control.

A hostage to fortune to meeting the new Government target for Test Valley of 921 completed new homes per year. Difficult as that is going to be for other reasons.

John King,

Duttons  Road,

Romsey

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