Ms Caroline Timmons:

I see the point Deputy O'Connor is making. It is not that it is a bad idea in theory, but in terms of the point he makes on risk, there is a reason there are developers in the market. It is because they know how to access finance and how to get it done, whereas it might be a great idea for somebody who just owns a field if he or she could work with the local authority – we would not stop them doing that – but generally they would not have the experience or the expertise to know how to do it. That is a riskier prospect if it is not tried and tested. Through infrastructure programmes like the local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF, where we have brought forward infrastructure in areas and we have asked for housing to be developed, we have seen people who own the land partner with the developer in some respect so that they have that expertise brought in with them.

In principle, it is not a bad idea and we would not object to it. It is that the necessary expertise to buy off the level of risk for first-time developers of their own land needs to be brought in. The local authorities could work with people who want to do that, and they do partner in many of those infrastructure projects to bring forward housing.