It is being said by developers that Brexit would lead to a shortage of construction staff which, in turn, would lead to a shortage of homes being built. There is now also a recession in the British manufacturing sector.
What developers don’t go on to say is that both these situations would lead to higher house prices due to short supply and so Local Plans would be in tatters.
We banged on about Local Plans assuming that there would never be a recession, never be a shortage of workers (indeed there would be a constant increase) and no shortage of materials. Just this one change would mean Local Plans would be worthless.
What happens then?
East Devon Watch 
As usual it is ever that simple.
Whilst we might have a shortage of building labourers, a Brexit would likely have a significant impact on immigration which would probably reduce the increase in demand for houses. So house prices might fall. But so might employment and incomes in real-terms.
The reality of the In/Out debate is:
a. There are a LOT of economic factors;
b. There are some guesses about the impacts of these factors but few analytical estimates;
c. There are a LOT of scare stories.
So, who knows what the real economic impact will be?
My guess is that a Brexit would have a negative economic impact, at least in the short-term, but at least I am being completely open that this is just a guess and not pretending to know or using end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it scare stories to persuade people.
P.S. I am, however, a believer in the end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it – but it has all to do with how democracy is being shredded and nothing to do with the EU Referendum.
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