“Since its introduction, the Help to Buy initiative has proved enormously successful.  With demand consistently outstripping the available budget, it has clearly demonstrated the desire of Scots to own their own home whilst helping to get the industry moving again.  This is evident in the results of our own research which shows the scheme has delivered in both social and economic terms - stimulating investment, increasing the number of homes built across the private and public sectors and creating jobs.  

“Whilst £195m of funding has been announced for the next three years, the fact is that this represents a significant reduction on previous rounds.  The changes in criteria with reducing price ceilings means that some builders will be excluded from the programme altogether which may restrict supply in some parts of the country.  Others will have to adjust their product mix to suit but this will only be feasible if local authority planning departments support and work with them to do so quickly and efficiently.

“Allocating more money to a scheme that has proved its value over a number of measures would have allowed its benefits to be maximised even further.

“Acknowledging that Help to Buy is one tool in the box, we will continue to press the Scottish Government for more support across the industry – from a streamlined planning system to attracting more people into our sector.”