The Federation has welcomed parts of the green paper, especially the proposed shift in the planning system towards a presumption in favour of sustainable development and the greater scope for local communities to shape development in their area.

The Federation has also hailed the expectation that councils should provide local people with good quality information on housing need in each neighbourhood. And it has given a positive reception to the principle of giving local authorities and individual communities incentives to build more homes.

But it is the proposed scrapping of Section 106 that is a major concern, says the Federation.

The National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations, says that the Tory party’s plans to scrap the so-called ‘Section 106’ system – set out in its planning green paper – could lead to a reduction of up to 40% in the number of affordable homes delivered each year.

This is because under Section 106, private developers are obliged to build a minimum number of affordable homes on sites on which they are given permission to build new properties.

Around 64,000 of the 162,000 affordable homes to be built in England between April 2008 and March 2011, will be delivered through Section 106 agreements. And, under existing government plans, at least another 162,000 affordable homes are planned for the period between April 2011 and March 2014.

The Federation believes that any system that replaces Section 106 must be robust and deliver affordable housing where development is wanted and ensure affordable homes can be built, where necessary, even where there is some local opposition.

The Federation is also concerned that the Tories’ proposals to offer incentives to local communities to accept proposed building through the council tax system may not prove sufficient, as Federation research suggests the affordable housing incentives will add less than 1% to a typical council’s budget.

Federation chief executive David Orr said: “Much of what the Conservatives propose in their green paper is positive, and we support the party’s drive to create a simpler, more transparent and consistent planning system.”

However, he added: “The proposal to scrap Section 106 and replace it with a tariff system requires a leap of faith that the delivery of new homes will be maintained.

Section 106 delivers 40% of all affordable housing, but the Conservative proposals as they stand will put this delivery at too great a risk.

If a new planning system operates as the Conservatives envisage, all will be well; if it doesn't, we could lose up to 64,000 new affordable homes over three years.

The National Housing Federation is committed to working with all political parties to improve the planning system to support the delivery of new homes."

Individuals fiercely opposed to any new building in their rural community have frustrated not-for-profit housing charities/builders across the country by claiming land due to be developed on should be reclassified as a village green and protected from development.

But far from being at the heart of community life, the “village green” is often no more than an isolated agricultural field, which has rarely attracted a single dog walker, according to the National Housing Federation.

The situation is made even more ludicrous by the fact the land is often privately owned – and those claiming village green status would have been guilty of trespassing if they had, as they claim, enjoyed using it for leisure.

The delaying tactic – which is used after planning permission has already been given for housing developments – is hugely costly both in monetary terms and in the time wasted in dealing with the spurious application, which stands no realistic chance of being accepted.

The Federation said it was unacceptable local people in desperate need of an affordable house in many areas of rural England were left in limbo as a result of the nimbys’ time wasting tactic – not knowing when or if new developments would ever get built.

In the Peak District, plans to build 600 new affordable homes have been put on hold for over two years after around 20 “bogus” village green applications were made by opponents of the schemes – in a clear attempt to derail the process.

The situation has become so desperate for High Peak district council – who own the land - that it has enlisted the help of local MP Tom Levitt, who has pushed for a change in the law to prevent the tactic being used elsewhere.

Representation at public inquiries resulting from village green bids has already cost the council and taxpayer huge sums of money. A recent decision cost the council more than £100,000 in legal advice alone.

The delays come as a blow to the 22,000 households on a waiting list for an affordable home in the picturesque area, which is already struggling to keep local families.

NIMBYs are using two 19th century laws – The Enclosure Act 1857 and the Commons Act 1876 – which make it a criminal offence to do anything that may injure the green, or interrupt the use of enjoyment of it as a place for exercise or recreation by placing anything on the green.

But two key changes in the legislation in 1999 and 2006 paved the way for the current flood of village green applications. It means people can register open spaces as town or village greens if they prove the area has been used by local people for at least 20 years, without the permission of the landowner but without being secretive or forcing their way on to the land.

But crucially a village green application can go in after planning permission has already been granted - opening the way for those opposed to development to apply for village green status.

Federation chief executive David Orr said: “Village greens play an important part in community life in many villages and towns, and genuine greens need the full protection of the law.

“However, increasing numbers of people are submitting inappropriate village green applications in a cynical attempt to stop the building of new homes – sometimes delaying the delivery of desperately needed new housing by years and wasting millions of pounds of pounds of taxpayers money in the process.”

“We welcome the Government’s decision to review the village green registration process. However, it is critical that ministers move quickly to change the law so that the NIMBYs are stopped from abusing the system.”

CIL is due to be introduced by local authorities from later this year. This victory will potentially save housing associations millions of pounds, allowing them to build more much-needed affordable homes.

Final regulations to enact CIL have been laid before Parliament today. They state that social housing – including socially rented and shared ownership homes – will not be liable for CIL. Charitable housing associations might have been able to benefit from the CIL charities exemption included in the 2008 Planning Act.

However this was not certain and the Federation, along with the Chartered Institute of Housing and Shelter, had been lobbying government hard for full relief from CIL for all affordable housing, both to ensure a level playing-field across the sector and to protect housing associations’ capacity to deliver affordable homes.

During the passage of the 2008 Planning Act, then Planning Minister Baroness Andrews committed to explore the potential of all affordable housing paying a ‘significantly reduced rate’ of CIL.

However this was put in doubt when the draft CIL regulations and consultation document, published in July last year, stated that government was not yet convinced of the case for affordable housing receiving any relief from CIL.

High-level lobbying by the Federation and its allies today paid off as government accepted the need for affordable housing to benefit from social housing relief – effectively a zero rate of CIL on virtually all social units developed.

Commenting on the success, Federation chief executive David Orr said:

“The National Housing Federation is delighted government is introducing social housing relief for the new Community Infrastructure Levy.

“We are grateful to John Healey and his CLG officials have listened to our concerns and recognised the need to protect the capacity of housing associations to deliver desperately needed homes during the economic downturn.

“With social housing relief, housing associations’ development programmes will not be hampered by a new development tax that would have reduced their capacity to build social-rented and shared ownership homes.

“With housing building this year slumping to the lowest level since 1923 and a record 4.5 million people stuck on housing waiting lists, this is good news not just for housing associations but for people waiting for a social home.”

The announcement means that following the long-running campaign by the Federation, supported by its members, each of the big energy firms has equalised the charges they make to prepay meter users with customers on quarterly bills.

Over the last few years, all of the big energy firms, except for Scottish Power, have charged prepayment meter customers more for their gas and electricity than anyone else - even though they are from low income backgrounds. According to research for the Federation, the average income for a household with a prepayment meter is £16,000.

Federation chief executive David Orr said: 'The efforts of the Federation, housing associations and residents for a fairer deal for prepayment meter customers have paid off.

'Today's news is an incredible testament to what can be achieved when we all pull together.'

He added: 'This is a great day for social justice and means that almost one million people, many of whom are on lower incomes, will now find it easier to pay their energy bills and heat their homes.'

Although we now have full equalisation across all of the big six energy suppliers - British Gas, EDF, e.on, npower, SSE and Scottish Power - the Federation will lobby MPs to make the change permanent in the Energy Bill, currently progressing through Parliament.