NIMBYs, YIMBYs, development-blocking councils, profit-obsessed developers. These are terms used to describe some of the key players in our system of development. They paint a picture of a system that is often fraught and full of conflict. But what if instead of confrontation, we built consensus?

Our development system is currently a perfect storm of misaligned priorities, limited resources, and a system that seems designed to sideline communities rather than empower them. The end result is that we're not building – particularly houses. This poses a serious problem for councils, who will be charged with overseeing the construction of 1.5 million houses over the next five years.