Builders ditch flood defence

The Government's plan to put 200,000 new homes on the South-East'sgreen belt is in jeopardy, as builders have refused to assist with thenecessary flood-defence costs.

John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, unveiled the project to buildthe homes to ease the region's housing shortage, but construction firmsare baulking at estimates that it will cost £4bn alone to protect homesprojected to be built on a 40-mile stretch of land close to theThames.

The scheme relies on extensive building on floo