News article 5/11/2012

(Issued 5 November 2012) 
 

The latest planning performance statistics released by the Scottish Government were today described as an “outrage” by the trade body which represents the country’s home building industry.

The figures show that decisions on major housing applications are taking an average of nearly 77 weeks – over a year longer than the 16 week statutory timescale.

Speaking on behalf of companies which together provide 95% of new homes built for sale as well as a significant proportion of affordable housing, Homes for Scotland Director of Planning Allan Lundmark said:

“Scotland is in the midst of its worst housing crisis since the Second World War with a total of only 15,000 new homes built in 2011 despite 160,000 people being on housing waiting lists, households growing at a rate of more than 21,000 per annum and our population being at its highest ever level.

“Thousands of new, warm, sustainable homes are desperately needed across all tenures the length and breadth of the country. Scotland’s home builders stand ready to provide them but, facing the worst market conditions in living memory, these figures support our own internal research and confirm that the planning system is strangling rather than facilitating what little investment is available.

“It is simply not good enough for the Scottish Government to publish these figures without explaining how they are going to rectify this sorry situation. These statistics also call into serious question the Scottish Government’s ambition in introducing higher fees for a system that is clearly not performing and shows no sign of improving.

”The wider social, economic and environmental benefits of building more homes are well recognized so Planning Minister Derek Mackay needs to give this matter his full and urgent attention to ensure a system that is fit for purpose.”