Victoria Hills, Chief Executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), said: “As we approach the Comprehensive Spending Review we are glad the government is considering how best to alleviate the housing crisis.

“The £1.8bn package to regenerate brownfield land announced today is encouraging and we favour a brownfield-first approach. It is unclear whether prioritising brownfield will deliver 160,000 new homes but it is important that the homes are supported by adequate infrastructure and facilities as well as delivering on net zero commitments.

“We have for some time been calling for a Digital Transformation Fund of £46m to help bring the planning system into the 21st Century so the £65m package announced today is a great start. But funding of the wider planning system is still required. We estimate that £500m over four years can produce an efficient system that is capable of rising to the challenge of England’s housing shortage.”