More land does not cure housing scarcity

Increasing the supply of land for construction would have little effect in bringing down house prices, says a new study in the UK.

It also warns that relaxing planning controls could "unleash a new wave of urban sprawl" in the country.

CPRE policy director Neil Sinden said that the evidence uncovered by this study suggested that the government needed to rethink its planned relaxation of policies for housing, which would encourage builders to use more greenfield land rather than redevelop more difficult urban sites.