Report calls for private associations

That was the message from a damning report by think tank the European Policy Forum this week. It urges the development of 'mark 2' privately owned housing associations to "demolish, reconstruct and re-pattern sink council estates".

"The goal would be to end the domination of municipal and 'social' ownership and create meaningful public-private providers tackling some of Britain's worst housing blackspots," it explains.

The report was edited by former Tory MEP Graham Mather and economist Keith Boyfield. Other contributors include Glasgow University professor of urban studies Duncan Maclennan (pictured) and Sir Alfred Sherman, who was a prominent advisor to Margaret Thatcher.

The report criticises the dominance of social housing in the north and Midlands.

It states: "Instead of building housing estates, the onus should be providing housing for sale or private rental."

The report states that the UK housing model "cannot be judged a success", and is highly critical of "draconian" planning laws, which it says have resulted in a huge fall in the amount of new building and represents the biggest hurdle to freeing up the housing market.

"Compared with our EU partners," said Boyfield, "housing in Britain is expensive, badly built and often of a poor design quality. Many people find it difficult to find affordable accommodation."

The study suggests that greenbelt land be trimmed back and calls for new house development on "undistinguished" Countryside and "poor quality" farmland.

The widespread proliferation of 'nimby' attitudes is attributed to the lack of compensation for owners directly affected by development proposals. The study calls for "appropriate" payment to combat nimbyism.