With Scottish Government figures published today reporting a four per cent increase in house building completions in the 12 months to June 2016 compared to a year earlier, the country’s home building industry described it as a step in the right direction but pointed to a worrying eleven per cent drop in private sector starts over the same period.

Nicola Barclay (right), Chief Executive of trade body Homes for Scotland, said:

“Whilst this increase in completions is welcome, at less than 600 homes, much more obviously needs to be done in order to effectively tackle Scotland’s housing crisis and this will require many thousands of new homes of all tenures.  

“Over the period from 2010, annual completion levels have effectively flatlined at an average of around 15,000 and we now see a worrying drop in the total number of homes being started, with alarming disparity between public and private sectors.

“The system therefore remains in need of resuscitation to ensure that the pipeline of new homes coming through is not blocked or delayed by bureaucratic processes.

“This is reflected in comments made by some of our members that it has never been harder to open new sites and get homes out of the ground.  

“With the majority of those living here still wanting to own their own home, it is essential that the Scottish Government gets on top of the barriers that are preventing people from achieving this most basic of aspirations and enable our industry to increase the contribution it makes to our country’s social and economic wellbeing.”