A PLANNING initiative just announced by Environment Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is not only welcome but long overdue.

That is the verdict of Andrew Burgess, head of the planning division of Southampton property consultants Humberts, who says a number of key sites in and around the city will be affected by the new measure.

He said: "This initiative, which amends PPG3 (Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 Housing), will force local councils to speed the release of much-needed house-building development land on those sites where city centre regeneration should be taking place - in the heart of our cities and town centres.

"Many of these developments will, of course, be suitable for low-cost and social housing schemes which will help to achieve housing targets.

"Councils the length and breadth of the country have been protecting these sites, keeping stock back in an unrealistic belief that they can be developed for employment purposes.

"There are a number of sites in and around Southampton, Eastleigh and Fareham which would benefit from these changes, especially those in areas which need regeneration.

"The Woolston Riverside development is just one example of a project breathing new life into a former employment site.

"Being promoted by SEEDA, the development includes a high proportion of housing on the former Vosper shipyard.

"The changes will, quite rightly I believe, require councils to release these unrealistic employment sites for housing unless they fail to meet any one of three specific criteria - namely that the proposal fails to reflect the policies in PPG3; the development would undermine the regional spatial strategy or the development plan; or there is evidence that there is a realistic prospect that the development could be used for employment land within the plan period, or would undermine strategies for economic development and regeneration.

"We certainly welcome the changes introduced by John Prescott, and hope that local councils across the country will immediately begin the process of releasing these sites to help achieve their redevelopment and housing targets."