The Local Government Association (LGA) has pointed out that   greater access to mortgages will be essential in order to increase demand fot housing, with the average first-time buyer deposit now at almost £28,000, up 60 per cent since 2007, while gross mortgage lending has halved since 2007. The LGA is also continuing to push removal of the housing borrowing cap as a swift approach to increased growth and housing. Our research shows that this could deliver 60,000 new homes and a 0.6 per cent boost to UK GDP.

Other LGA proposals include improving the Right to Buy scheme so that councils can increase investment in new stock, and allowing greater retention of business rates growth in 2014/15 and beyond. “Good ideas that central government needs to act upon” says Bill Winlow