<p>Housing minister Grant Shapps is today announcing plans for the government to release enough public land to build 100,000 new homes by 2015.</p> <p>Every government department with significant landbanks will publish plans by the Autumn to release thousands of acres of previously-developed land to housebuilders. The Public Expenditure Committee will go through every department's plans in detail to ensure every possible site is made available.</p> <p>The HBF said the move was a "very welcome first step", but stressed that issues with the planning system and mortgages still need to be addressed.</p> <p>"Alongside the lack of mortgage availability, a lack of viable, developable land with planning permission has been the most significant long term constraint on housing supply," said HBF executive chairman Stewart Baseley. "It is vital to recognise though that the success of this very positive initiative and building more housing generally also depends on the creation of a truly pro-growth planning system."</p> <p>Shapps also published DCLG's plans to release more land under its Build Now, Pay Later initiative which means housebuilders only pay for the land once work has started on the new homes. Land is being made available at Fairmile, Oxfordshire; New Covent Garden Market, London; and at …