Prescott adviser calls for homes rethink

John Prescott's plan to demolish 400,000 Victorian terrace homes is under fire from one of his own advisers.

Professor Brendan Nevin, a consultant on the scheme, is calling for a rethink. The Deputy Prime Minister has met huge criticism for his plan to flatten houses in the North and Midlands and build a smaller number of modern homes in their place. It costs about £100,000 to demolish and rebuild - four times as much as refurbishing existing properties. The plan has baffled many Londoners who see similar properties lovingly restored and fetching sky-high prices. It has added to controversy over plans to build thousands of new homes across the South-East.

The unpopularity of the demolition scheme has led Professor Nevin to call for a review. "You have to take local people with you," he said.