Senior housebuilders have expressed concern about proposed Conservative housing policies which will see more power over planning given to local communities and the abolition of regional development agencies. Persimmon chief executive Mike Farley told Housebuilder: “Conservative policy is of concern to us. There is nothing wrong with letting local people decide (on applications) but you need some targets or how are you going to provide affordable housing because by and large that comes from the private sector. “History has taught us that there are things that everyone wants but not in their back yard.” <br> <br> Farley said that the “Caroline Spelman letter” – in which the shadow communities secretary urged councils to disregard development targets in anticipation of a Conservative election victory – was “unhelpful” but said that Persimmon had not seen a noticeable effect yet. Farley’s chairman at Persimmon, John White, also expressed concern about the policy. Speaking at the Resi conference in Wales he said that the policy could well constrain the number of new homes built. On the same platform, leading economist Dr Ian Shepherdson went further, describing the Tory plans as “nuts”. <br> <br> However, addressing the HBF planning conference in September, John Howell, Conservative …