The heavily populated and prosperous counties around London are set for substantial development.

The latest proposal is that 1.1 million new homes at least should be built here over the next 16 years. That means six new towns the size of Southampton.

Are mass building programmes the way to boost an economy? Should the south-east be developed disproportionately with the rest of the country in order to protect the highest per capita income?

BBC Radio 4's Them & Us programme debated this issue live on air and are giving you the opportunity to continue the discussion online. Send us your views now.

I have listened to the debate on the apparent need for more housing, but will this be for the people who are in real need of housing, the homeless?? I don't think so All this housing will be built by private speculators to keep spending on social housing down which is regarded as public spending. I don't know why. Councils have millions in the bank which should be used for housing, and was until Thatcher stopped it
Kieht Brailey, Exeter

I am amazed that you did not seem inclined to bring any other point of view to the program other than of the Kentish people,South-East local authorities and speculative builders. The problem that you failed to address properly affects the whole country not just THE SOUTH-EAST, when will you get it into your heads that the country extends beyond London and mainly to the NORTH. Any capital investment in the Southeast is at the expense of the rest of Britain and they also have a point of view. The problem that exists in the south-east is because of the over capitalisation of the south-east at the expense of the other parts of Britain.
Tom Williams. Aberystwyth.

Thank you for this excellent and balanced discussion on a difficult issue. After hearing the arguments, I would side with the view that "more housing will NOT lead to more prosperity in the South East."
I am convinced that there is an initial need for a complete review of nation-wide planning, to encourage job creation in areas of high unemployment and lower cost housing before any attempt is made to reduce the quality of life in the south east.
My family and I have just returned from living overseas and had to look at eight primary schools in S. Oxfordshire, before finding one that could accept the children. This in an age of parental choice! If the existing schooling situation is so critical at the present time, what hope for a region with a further one million plus homes, even if many are for single person occupancy? Alastair J. Morris, Consulting Engineer