Responding to the findings of a new Scottish Government report considering the housing aspirations of people in Scotland, Philip Hogg, Chief Executive of home building industry body Homes for Scotland (right) said:

“This report highlights the importance of ensuring that current and future generations have access to a range of quality housing options across all tenures in order to realise their full potential.  

“The findings confirm that there remains a strong aspiration amongst the majority of people living in Scotland to own their own home, however, frustrations surrounding large deposit requirements, a particular concern for the “squeezed middle”, still influence the reality of many.  We therefore await a further announcement from  the Scottish Government on the detail surrounding the £195m successor  to the hugely successful Help to Buy (Scotland) shared equity scheme, which has already assisted over 5,000 such households to fulfill this ambition.

“With location also found to be the most critical aspect of people’s housing goals, it is crucial that we ensure we can provide the thousands of warm, energy efficient homes Scotland requires in in places people want to live.

“Indeed, the importance of having a planning system which encourages and facilitates delivery in such areas is key.  With this now being considered by the recently announced independent panel undertaking a root and branch review, we look forward to forward to engaging in positive discussions on this topic.”