"While it is essential that reasonable measures are taken to protect rare wildlife across the south east, a total block on all plans for new housebuilding in the Thames Basin will be catastrophic in an area crying out for new homes," comments Philip Davies, chief executive of Linden Homes, one of the developers charged with building the desperately-needed new homes.

"It is likely that local councils will use this freeze as an excuse to block legitimate development, which is very serious. The Thames Basin has already been earmarked for 40,000 new homes over the next ten years, including 12,000 crucial affordable units in an area which is notoriously expensive. This legislation will worsen the housing shortage and push prices up even further, allowing little hope for young people wanting to buy their first property.

"The Government needs to put a stop to in-fighting between agencies such as English Nature and the ODPM, and find a solution which will enable housebuilders to get on with the job in an environmentally sound way. The rule forbidding development within a 5km radius of protected heathland for example is absurd. Most built-up towns such as Guildford, Woking and Camberley are within 5km, and further brownfield development within such towns would have little or no additional impact on nesting birds in heathland 5km away."

European Union wildlife protection law safeguards the welfare of three species of rare bird: the Nightjar, the Woodlark and the Dartford Warbler. Acting under advice from the Government's wildlife agency English Nature, 11 local authorities in Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire have frozen all new housing planning applications inside a vast cordon around the birds' breeding habitats, primarily patches of heather-covered lowland heath.

What do YOU think should happen? email us with your comments editorial@sqftmag.com