The Prime Minister David Cameron has urged council's to set out their plans to build new homes before 2017.

The PM has warned that local authorities which fail to provide blueprints for thousands of new properties could see the government having to intervene.

The plans are part of a 'national crusade' by the PM to develop a million new homes over the next five years.

Mr Cameron said: "My Government will do everything it can to help people buy a place of their own - at the heart of this is our ambition to build one million new homes by 2020.

"Many areas are doing this already - and this is great - but we need a national crusade to get homes built and everyone must play their part.

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"Councils have a key role to play in this by drawing up their own local plans for new homes by 2017. But if they fail to act, we'll work with local people to produce a plan for them."

As part of the campaign, the Government is to publish a new Housing Bill.

The plans lay out how authorities will build new homes over the next 15 years.

The legislation will require developers to build a portion of affordable starter homes when sites are large enough.

The Bill will also include measures to give work on brownfield sites automatic planning permission.

Builders looking to convert disused offices into homes could also be able to do so without applying for permission, in an extension of a rule first introduced in 2013.

However the plans have still not been published by a fifth of councils, while 65% are yet to fully adopt one.

In addition, local people will be allowed to have a say on where new properties go through reviews which are to take place every five years.

(LM/MH)