SECTOR body Homes for Scotland (HFS) has welcomed new measures announced by Scotland’s public finance minister Ivan McKee, designed to support the delivery of new homes.
Measures include the establishment of a further planning hub to support housing delivery and the stopping of work on the introduction of an infrastructure levy, with the focus instead to be on improving guidance on Section 75 planning agreements.
The move follows newly published stats showing that the average processing time for major residential applications had increased to 60 weeks despite a 29% fall in the volume of applications.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) also identified the planning system as limiting levels of housebuilding due to lack of predictability; length, cost and complexity of the process; and insufficient clarity and consistency in its market study final report earlier this year.
HFS chief executive Jane Wood said, “In the context of the housing emergency, this announcement is six months overdue but nonetheless very welcome, recognising as it does the key role that the planning system has to play in facilitating the delivery of more homes of all tenures across Scotland and the need for it to be properly equipped to do so. It is clear that the minister has clearly listened to sector concerns and taken steps to address them. We applaud him for doing so, and to committing to ensuring tangible results in the next 12 months.
“Given the scale of the challenge that faces us, this will be no easy task and there is clearly much detail to be unpicked – for example, we do not recognise the figures referenced regarding the number of homes having been granted planning permission but not yet built and would suggest that they do not reflect either the complexity of the myriad of issues facing home builders or the very real nature of the housing emergency.
“But this is the opportunity for a positive reset and we are fully dedicated to working with stakeholders, including government at all levels and our colleagues in local planning authorities, to provide the homes that meet the needs of all those living in Scotland and that they can afford. The ‘Team Scotland’ approach and ambition to use the planning system to make our country the most attractive part of the UK for investment is both refreshing and reinvigorating. We will play our full part in helping to achieve this.”
With regards to SME home builders and the sites referenced by the minister which have been permissioned but not taken forward, Wood said, “We have already published a comprehensive package of recommendations to support SME home builders in June on which an official response from the Scottish Government is awaited and followed this up with a roundtable discussion between members and the ministers for housing and public finance in August so we trust work in this area will be able to move at pace.
“On the stalling of sites, we are already working with members to understand the reasons behind any such examples and look forward to interrogating the Scottish Government’s datasets when published to assist with this.”
