Canon Hugh Wright, Newport:

I found the article by Cllr Phil Jordan, his rebuttal of Government housing targets and description of blocking tactics by council members in failing to approve the Island Plan, to be very depressing.

A new Government with a huge majority wants to increase housebuilding (as per its manifesto).

Why not? We have a massive housing crisis in this country - ask anyone who is trying to find a place to rent.

There are, no doubt, many reasons for this on the Island – second homes, derelict properties, Air BnB properties - but new builds surely must play a part in this.

Unlike our new MPs who seem to want to work collaboratively with the Government to address the Island’s problems, eg the ferries, the leader of the council seems bent on opposing it, despite the severity of the problem.

For 31 years I was fortunate enough to live in large, beautiful vicarages provided by the church.

Because they were big, they were inevitably situated next to other large, privately owned properties and the kind of people who can afford them.

Since retiring, my wife and I live in a small house on a sizeable new estate, a mixed development of private and social housing, detached, semi-detached, fully attached houses and flats.

Unlike where we used to live, we are surrounded by a wide range of people from oldies like us to young families and people from around the world.

This is refreshing, as it is to know that all sorts and conditions have had their housing needs met by this new development. Where would we all be if this had been blocked?

I don’t doubt that numbers will need to be negotiated, for that’s politics, but I applaud our new Government for making new housing a priority and wish them well in facing down the various obstacles that will stand in their way.