Sector body Homes for Scotland, which represents organisations together delivering the majority of new homes of all tenures, has responded to this afternoon’s statement in the Scottish Parliament by the Minister for Housing on “Delivering the Homes that Scotland Needs”. Director of Policy Fionna Kell said:
“We of course acknowledge the financial pressures facing the Scottish Government and are encouraged by a recent change of tone and more positive engagement but it is time to stop pointing to Brexit, inflation and Westminster as the root causes of the housing emergency, with policy failures stemming over decades. Given the scale and severity of the current situation, those in need of a new home deserve better than that.
“These issues have clearly been important, but they are nowhere near as pressing as the challenges posed by an underfunded and under-resourced planning system which takes over 62 weeks to process a major housing application or the overall policy and regulatory environment which currently serves to hamper the delivery of new homes rather than promote them. Both of these are entirely within the control of the Scottish Government and would clearly meet the objective that the Deputy First Minister set out at our conference last month, namely the need to identify affordable actions that can make the biggest impact.
“Speak to any home builder and they will tell you that the planning and consenting processes are the biggest inhibitors to all-tenure housing delivery. Add to this the cumulative impact of new and proposed regulation which is now estimated to be adding c£30k in additional costs to the construction of a new home and it’s clear to see the challenges involved in housing delivery.
“These two areas are completely within the control of the Scottish Government which could act immediately to make the change that is required to encourage investment and boost certainty and confidence should it wish. We’re still waiting on the blue lights to be turned on.”
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