Future supply of homes coming forward across all tenures threatened as cuts to housing and planning budgets passed Tuesday’s passing of the Scottish Budget 2024 – 2025 at Holyrood will perpetuate housing inequality across the country and limit the number of new homes coming forward across all tenures, says sector
The complexities of the government’s leasehold reform proposals affecting millions of homeowners came under the spotlight at a seminar organised by Coventry and Warwickshire’s law firm Brindley Twist Tafft & James and property experts ehB Residential Surveys. Forty invited guests – including estate agents, surveyors, private finance advisors and conveyancing
Birchgrove and Hybr have announced an industry-first intergenerational living scheme which will see students and key workers live alongside retirees in the same purpose-built, privately rented retirement development. Ayrton House is a new 60-apartment rental retirement community in Mill Hill, North London. When launched in October this year, 16 apartments
Worst possible decision at worst possible time An open letter in today’s Daily Record is urging the First Minister to think again about the cuts being proposed to the 2024-25 budgets for housing and planning. The call comes the day before the Scottish Parliament votes on the draft Scottish Budget
Taconova installs 229 Heat Interface Units in new residential development A new £37m residential development in Sheffield is benefiting from sustainable and efficient heating, courtesy of Taconova’s market-leading Heat Interface Units (HIUs). The Ironworks: Redefining Urban Living Situated on Scotland Street, the Ironworks has been developed by Rise Homes and
LEADING regional procurement specialist EN:Procure has announced the appointment of 100 contractors after inviting tenders for its latest installers’ framework, valued at more than £3.2bn. The procurement arm of social housing consortium Efficiency North had recently opened the bidding for the next iteration of its Installation and Repairs Framework across
The typical annual household energy bill rose in January 2024 to a high of £1,928. However, for those on a standard energy tariff, innovative heating systems can help to bring energy costs back down. Annington is helping to tackle the rising costs of heating by undertaking a substantialretrofit project on
The plan for new homes, jobs and sustainable growth in Greater Manchester has reached its final stage, following a report by planning inspectors. In their report, published last Thursday, the inspectors have concluded that the Places for Everyone plan, with the modifications recommended as part of their rigorous, extensive and
Construction company Boutique Modern will start building a new factory in Newhaven this year which will create more than 35 further jobs at the business and double its capacity. The BCorp modular housing company was given the green light by Lewes District Council to build the factory in Avis Way
Critical government action required against backdrop of Local Authority housing emergencies and research showing 693,000 Scottish households in some form of housing need New planning application statistics published today have been described as “woeful” and “unacceptable” by sector body Homes for Scotland (HFS). The figures highlight a 41 per cent
Future supply of homes coming forward across all tenures threatened as cuts to housing and planning budgets passed Tuesday’s passing of the Scottish Budget 2024 – 2025 at Holyrood will perpetuate housing inequality across the country and limit the number of new homes coming forward across all tenures, says sector body Homes for Scotland (HFS). With a cut of 27.7% to the Housing and Building Standards Budget and further cuts of 26% and 43% to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme and Planning Budget respectively confirmed, HFS Director of Policy Fionna Kell said: “Whilst we welcome the Deputy First Minister’s commitment that housing will be treated with priority should further funds become available as a result of announcements by the Chancellor next week, the Budget passed today will only serve to deepen the housing inequality being felt across the country and risks losing the significant socio-economic benefits that come through increased home building across all tenures. “The cuts come at a time when multiple Local Authorities have declared housing emergencies and recent independent research has shown that there are 693,000 Scottish households facing at least one form of housing need. “Instead of cutting housing budgets, now is the time to maximise the wide-ranging socio-economic benefits offered by ensuring Scotland has the homes it needs to meet the needs of its people.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The complexities of the government’s leasehold reform proposals affecting millions of homeowners came under the spotlight at a seminar organised by Coventry and Warwickshire’s law firm Brindley Twist Tafft & James and property experts ehB Residential Surveys. Forty invited guests – including estate agents, surveyors, private finance advisors and conveyancing lawyers were among those who attended the event at the Warwick Arms Hotel. The event follows Michael Gove’s plans to shake up England and Wales’s ‘feudal’ leasehold system were announced in the King’s speech in November. Gove said the proposed Leasehold Reform Act would overhaul the system and prevent developers from selling new houses under leasehold, ensuring a fairer deal for leaseholders. It would also make it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to extend their lease agreement or buy their freehold, giving them more control of the land on which their property is built. Alex Khan, Partner and Property Solicitor at BTTJ said the problems within the current system are compounded by issues such as multiple ground rents – the charge for renting the land from the freeholder – diminishing lease terms, excessive insurance commissions and overcharging of service charges. Under the current legislation the standard lease extension term is currently 90 years. The proposed new legislation will increase this to 990 years – saving leaseholders the headache of a long, complicated and expensive process of extending leases which can cost thousands of pounds. The reforms also aim to ensure service charges and ground rents are transparent and reasonable. The Conservatives have also promised greater transparency of the system, the banning of excessive insurance commissions and an end to the requirement for a new leaseholder to have owned their property for two years before being able to extend the lease or buy the freehold, resulting in a rising premium. They have pledged to remove the ‘marriage value’ cap meaning leaseholders with less than 80 years left on the lease will no longer have to share the hypothetical profit of the property with the freeholder, meaning they could potentially benefit by thousands of pounds. Alex Khan said the government is also proposing to allow leaseholders of mixed use properties with up to 50 per cent of non-residential floor space to buy the freehold and manage the building, a move which Mr Khan said would allow residential tenants who live above a business, but have no experience in commercial property, to manage their entire building. “Often referred to as ‘fleecehold’, leasehold is a diminishing asset. It was first brought about by barons who would finance their crusades abroad by leasing their land to tenants for a peppercorn rent on the basis they knew the land would always be theirs. The system itself actually does work but in the last 20 years it has been abused, so what used to be an £8 ground rent is now £300, £500, going all the way up to £10,000 for the lifespan of a lease, and it prevents people from selling a property so the system has spiralled into an abyss.” Jonathan Selby explored a number of options which may be implemented by the government, including abolishing the marriage value or introducing a ground rent cap either at 0.1 per cent of the property value, or at £250. Other option included re-setting the ground rent to the initial ground rent set out in the lease or freeze it at the current value. He said: “Mr Gove says he will have all of this in place before the general election scheduled for later this year, but realistically I think we could still be talking about this in four or five years’ time. The legislation that may go through may be so watered down that it barely affects anyone at all.” Conversely labour says it would scrap the leasehold system altogether within if it wins the general election. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Birchgrove and Hybr have announced an industry-first intergenerational living scheme which will see students and key workers live alongside retirees in the same purpose-built, privately rented retirement development. Ayrton House is a new 60-apartment rental retirement community in Mill Hill, North London. When launched in October this year, 16 apartments across the third and fourth floors will be offered exclusively to trainee doctors and nurses from the local hospital, university post-graduates and graduate scheme students. The scheme has been designed to generate a vibrant community by harnessing the benefits of intergenerational living, with several pieces of research highlighting how the model is physically and mentally beneficial for both the young and the elderly. A 2019 UCL study highlighted how increased social contact for elderly people is associated with a lower risk of developing dementia, while an Ageing Research study has highlighted how intergenerational living benefits the elderly by giving them a greater sense of purpose and combatting loneliness, in turn leading to a greater life expectancy. Further research has also demonstrated how younger people benefit from living with elderly people – by enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of the older generation and increasing their tolerance, empathy and understanding. The students will live at Ayrton House on short-term tenancies running until June 2025, sharing communal facilities with the development’s retirees – including full access to the gym and the same subsidised rates in the restaurant. Furthermore, the rent on the 16 student units will be approximately 50% of the market value. The project therefore means that students will have access to affordable, high-quality accommodation at a time when nearly two-thirds of all students are struggling to pay their rent. At the end of the tenancies in June 2025, the 16 student units will be vacated and restored to first-use state, before being let to retirees. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Worst possible decision at worst possible time An open letter in today’s Daily Record is urging the First Minister to think again about the cuts being proposed to the 2024-25 budgets for housing and planning. The call comes the day before the Scottish Parliament votes on the draft Scottish Budget for the year ahead and follows the findings of independent research showing that 693,000 Scottish households are facing some form of housing need. It also comes in the context of three Local Authorities having already declared housing emergencies and others considering similar action. The letter has been signed by housing organisations Homes for Scotland (HFS), the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) and the Chartered Institute for Housing together with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. SFHA Chief Executive Sally Thomas said: “Parliament will tomorrow decide whether to approve the Scottish Government’s budget – a budget that proposes to slash the money available to build social homes by more than a quarter. “Almost one in twenty people in Scotland are on a waiting list for a social home, 30,000 are homeless and nearly 10,000 children are growing up in temporary accommodation. We just aren’t building the homes that Scotland needs. “The budget proposals represent the worst possible decision at the worst possible time and are a hammer-blow to the First Minister’s priority of reducing poverty.” HFS Chief Executive Jane Wood said: “At a time when 693,000 Scottish households are facing some form of housing need, all the data shows that the chronic undersupply of housing in Scotland is intensifying. This not only threatens the country’s social wellbeing by perpetuating housing inequality but also risks its economic success and the transition to net zero. “As we consistently highlight, private and affordable housing delivery are interconnected. With 30 per cent of affordable housing generated by the private sector through developer contributions, the more homes for sale that can be built, the more affordable homes will be delivered as a result. Given the planning system is already on its knees, the 43 per cent funding reduction being proposed will serve only to increase delay and cost, and do nothing to encourage crucial private sector investment. “We hope that the First Minister will think again about his government’s proposals and that all MSPs will carefully consider the housing needs of their constituents as they vote tomorrow.” CIH Scotland National Director Callum Chomczuk said: “Scotland is in the midst of a housing crisis, with three local authorities already declaring housing emergencies and up to a dozen more on the brink of doing so. “We all know what the problem is, a failure to build enough affordable homes, and yet the most recent budget exacerbates the crisis by taking almost £200m out of the housing supply budget. But it is not too late to make changes. “Even at this late stage, the Scottish Government can restore the budget and work with the sector on developing a response to deal with the housing emergency. We hope they take the chance to make addressing Scotland’s housing crisis a political priority.” Chris Birt, Associate Director for Scotland at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “There is still time for the First Minister to do the right thing and reverse this massive cut to the affordable housing supply budget. To fail to do so would be baffling in the face of spiralling homelessness and use of temporary accommodation, never mind the Scottish Government’s stated commitment to poverty reduction. Low-income tenants will face increasing rents and insecurity as the supply of affordable housing stalls. As a result of this cut to housing, this budget risks being a poverty causing budget rather than a poverty solving budget, and in the face of looming child poverty reduction targets is difficult to understand and even harder to defend.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Taconova installs 229 Heat Interface Units in new residential development A new £37m residential development in Sheffield is benefiting from sustainable and efficient heating, courtesy of Taconova’s market-leading Heat Interface Units (HIUs). The Ironworks: Redefining Urban Living Situated on Scotland Street, the Ironworks has been developed by Rise Homes and brings much-needed quality rented accommodation to Sheffield. Building work began in January 2021 on the site of the former Queens Hotel, and in September 2023, Rise Homes and Taconova were joined by the Mayor of Sheffield to open the new 12-storey Ironworks building. Inside The Ironworks This development encompasses 229 furnished apartments, comprising 144 one-bedroom, 80 two-bedroom, and 5 two-bedroom duplex units. A focus on sustainability is evident, with each unit connected to the building’s communal biomass boiler-powered heating system. The Heating System Water heated by the basement biomass boiler circulates through the building’s risers and into the Heat Interface Unit (HIU) in each of the 229 apartments. The HIUs ensure efficient and consistent heating and domestic hot water provision, maintaining optimal temperature and flow for the residents. TacoTherm H 3000E: The Core of Heating Each flat features a TacoTherm H 3000E Heat Interface Unit. This HIU is an electronically controlled, compact, and connection-ready all-in-one unit that offers indirect heat transfer for heating and domestic hot water. The 229 HIUs had to be supplied, installed, and commissioned within a three-month window. Taconova delivered 50 HIUs per week, and the contractor installed them in the utility cupboard of each apartment. The TacoTherm H 3000E has been designed specifically for multi-storey residential buildings and provides an operating pressure of 6 bar. It has an operating temperature of 90°C and generates hot water temperatures of up to 60°C. The TacoTherm H 3000E is highly efficient and has an overall Volume Weighted Average Return Temperature (VWART) figure of 26, making it a market leader – as independently tested by BESA (Building Engineering Services Association). More Than Just Hardware One of the standout benefits of opting for an electronically controlled HIU is the availability of data. The initial specification for this project was for Heat Interface Units only. However, the TacoTherm H 3000E offers much more than just hardware. The HIU has a smart meter which enables remote monitoring and analysis of heat consumption. The meter gathers information from across the network, from the plant room to the HIU. With this data, the system’s efficiency can be tracked, and improvements may be made based on the information. Likewise, if there are any inefficiencies or faults, these can be identified, pinpointed, and rectified quickly. The Ironworks management chose to also install the suggested smart heating controls and offer the controls to the residents through a smartphone or tablet app. These controls mean heating can be switched on or off remotely, potentially saving energy. Rigorous Quality Assurance Acceptance Test: Good Performance Before the project was completed, Taconova conducted testing on each HIU. This service formed part of the Taconova’s commitment to ensuring the HIUs function to the correct specification. The testing analysed the operating pressure, temperature, and hot water temperatures in each apartment and measured the overall efficiency of the heating system during a 48-hour period. The results were then measured against set parameters. After Taconova’s engineers had completed the adjustments and remedial work, the tests were conducted again. Improvements were evident and the scheme was performing according to the set design parameters and achieved overall network compliance. On-going Monitoring for Sustainable Living As part of its commitment to customer service and sustainability, Taconova will continue to monitor and improve the heating system for the lifetime of the scheme. It is well documented that the efficiency of a newly built property drops substantially after the first 12-month operation, so it’s important to monitor the efficiency of the whole heating system beyond the initial year. The ongoing monitoring provides complete oversight of the whole system, not just the HIUs. Therefore, it is possible to recommend improvements to ensure that the network remains at the optimum efficiency level. For example, adjusting the plant room temperature during the summer and winter can optimise the system and improve efficiency. As well as providing constant monitoring and improvement suggestions, Taconova will also support Ironworks with annual servicing of the HIUs, as part of the service level agreement. A Greener Future Exciting plans for the future reveal that things could get even greener if the Ironworks development can join the Sheffield City District Heating Network. This district heating network is one of the largest city heat networks in the UK and currently supplies 2,800 homes and 140 commercial buildings, saving 21,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. The focal point of the network is the city’s incinerator which burns 120,000 tonnes of municipal waste each year, producing up to 60MW of thermal energy. With an expansion and improvement to the network, it is hoped that the Ironworks will be able to benefit from the waste heat generated from Sheffield’s incinerator. Joining the network will mean the Ironworks can replace the biomass boiler and utilise waste heat from the network, further enhancing the building’s green credentials. The indirect TacoTherm H 3000E HIU is future-ready and will seamlessly transition to the heat network and deliver efficient heating to the residents in the building. Thanks to the HIU’s pre-fitted heat meter, the residents’ heat consumption will be calculated based on what they use. Switching to the heat network will mean a lower heating tariff compared to the biomass boiler, so residents’ energy bills will also be lower. Innovative heating solutions like Taconova’s indirect TacoTherm H 3000E HIUs are part of the company’s mission to offer reliable, low-maintenance, and highly efficient heating solutions that save customers time, effort, and money. To find out more, please visit: www.taconova.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
LEADING regional procurement specialist EN:Procure has announced the appointment of 100 contractors after inviting tenders for its latest installers’ framework, valued at more than £3.2bn. The procurement arm of social housing consortium Efficiency North had recently opened the bidding for the next iteration of its Installation and Repairs Framework across 36 lots for social housing projects in Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands and the north west. It will run from 26th February 2024 to 25th February 2028. The winning contractors will carry out a wide range of social housing repairs and installation work including electrical, heating, roofing and brickwork. Around 85% of the contractors are small and medium enterprises (SMEs), reflecting EN:Procure’s commitment to providing fair access to organisations of any size. More than £272m of repairs, maintenance and installation work has been delivered by the current version of the framework since its launch in 2019. A further £2m was gifted to members to fund social value initiatives for local communities, with £1.5m being given through EN:Able Communities since 2015. The new framework was procured under EN:Procure’s latest Gen-4 generation of tenders, incorporating the FAC-1 Framework Agreement and dynamic models for ESG delivery, reflecting many of the themes in the government’s Constructing the Gold Standard report. It will provide a wide range of social, economic and environmental benefits for communities served by Efficiency North’s membership of social housing providers. Emma Mottram, director of operations at EN:Procure, said: “We’re excited to announce the successful bids for our latest framework process – it has been a big effort from everyone involved. We wanted to give as many businesses as possible the chance to take part and the tenders were of an extremely high standard. Congratulations to all those appointed. “The framework was structured to encourage SME engagement and so we are delighted that a large proportion of them are from that sector. We will be supporting them on their journey to delivering robust ESG targets. “The successful applicants are keen to deliver outstanding installation and repairs works, while also matching Efficiency North’s commitment to training and skills development, including the use of apprenticeships.” Emma added: “This has been one of the first iterations to be procured with our latest generation of framework agreements. The Gen4 frameworks will provide a higher level of transparency and underline the power of collaboration. “It will also pave the way for the social housing sector to achieve decarbonisation targets and improve sustainability.” EN:Procure has supported social housing landlord members to deliver nearly £1bn of works through its frameworks and DPSs since 2014. Full list of appointed contractors: ENP Installers framework GEN4 2024 Contractors.pdf To find out more information about EN:Procure and the framework including contractors appointed by lot visit: https://www.efficiencynorth.org/procure/frameworks/refurbishment-and-improvements/installation-servicing-repairs-maintenance Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The typical annual household energy bill rose in January 2024 to a high of £1,928. However, for those on a standard energy tariff, innovative heating systems can help to bring energy costs back down. Annington is helping to tackle the rising costs of heating by undertaking a substantialretrofit project on five former Officer’s houses on Marlborough Close in Devizes. The wider retrofit is designed to bring these substantial homes to EPC A rating, and each property will include an air source heat pump, solar panels and an innovative AI-powered Mixergy hot water cylinder. The Mixergy tank will provide heating and hot water, powered by free, clean energy harnessed by the solar panels. By monitoring how much energy the house uses compared how much is produced by the solar panels, the Mixergy tank can divert any excess energy to the immersion heater instead of sending it back to the grid. The Mixergy tank’s AI-powered system will track how much energy is used in the home and when, so that it can anticipate demand and supply heating and hot water exactly when it is needed. The tank monitors energy prices 24 hours a day, and when excess energy beyond what is provided by the solar panels is required, it will purchase energy at a cheaper rate (usually overnight) to heat up the hot water cylinder in preparation for heating the property. Jane Harsham, Sustainability Manager at Annington, comments: “The wider retrofit at Devizes has delivered homes refurbished to an EPC A rating, the highest energy performance possible, and one which many new builds fail to achieve. Incorporating smart energy designed to optimise the heating process, greatly improved internal and external insulation and a host of other energy efficiency improvements means that for purchasers, energy consumption is more efficient and has the potential to deliver overall lower utility bills, greater occupier comfort and a more sustainable lifestyle.” Annington’s newest sustainable development of just five four-bedroom homes is close to the historic market town of Devizes, described as the West Country’s “best kept secret” by The London Economic.* Just ten minutes’ walk from the Kennet and Avon Canal, the homes on Marlborough Close benefit from direct bus links to Swindon and Pewsey Station, providing access to London Paddington Station in just over a hour, is less than ten miles away. Annington’s newest sustainable development of just five four-bedroom homes is set to launch in Spring 2024, with prices starting from £565,000. To find out more and register your interest please visit www.marlboroughclose.co.uk To find out more about Annington, visit www.annington.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The plan for new homes, jobs and sustainable growth in Greater Manchester has reached its final stage, following a report by planning inspectors. In their report, published last Thursday, the inspectors have concluded that the Places for Everyone plan, with the modifications recommended as part of their rigorous, extensive and robust independent examination process, is sound and legally compliant. The publication of the report marks the end of the examination process, which included public hearings and consultations between November 2022 and December 2023. Places for Everyone will now be presented to each of the nine councils to consider the recommendations and whether to adopt the plan in line with Government’s expectations for a plan-led approach to development, which is in line with theNational Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Full details of the council meetings will be published in due course. Places for Everyone is a long-term plan of nine districts in the city-region: Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan. It is a comprehensive joint development plan of the districts that will determine the kind of development that takes place in their boroughs, maximising the use of brownfield land and urban spaces while protecting Green Belt land from the risk of unplanned development. It will also ensure all new developments are sustainably integrated into Greater Manchester’s transport network or supported by new infrastructure. For further information please contact the Communications and Engagement team on: news@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk. Find us on social media @greatermcr. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction company Boutique Modern will start building a new factory in Newhaven this year which will create more than 35 further jobs at the business and double its capacity. The BCorp modular housing company was given the green light by Lewes District Council to build the factory in Avis Way and plans to move in at the end of this year. The business specialises in delivering sustainable homes for affordable and social housing schemes in the South East, helping the most vulnerable people in society to find a place they can call home. Dick Shone, managing director at Boutique Modern, said: “This is an exciting new chapter for Boutique Modern, which will mean more homes and jobs for local people. “This will prepare us for the next exciting phase when we open satellite factories in other areas with housing demand. Each new factory will create upwards of 100 new jobs and generate more than £20m for the local economy per year, per facility. “It’s our belief that social and affordable housing should be beautifully designed and sustainable and it’s a privilege for us to be able to make a difference.” The factory has been designed by award-winning Brighton architects Morgan Carn and will feature a two-storey industrial building to be used to manufacture offsite modular housing units. Boutique Modern currently employs more than 70 people but has outgrown its current site in Beach Road. The new factory will take its headcount to more than 100 employees. The empty disused site in Avis Way was previously occupied by a large workshop, store and office building that was demolished in 2021 and the space is currently used by Boutique Modern for the temporary storage of off-site housing modules. When the new factory opens at the end of this year, it will enable the business to operate two manufacturing lines, which will provide more flexibility in terms of what it manufactures and increase control over delivery speed to clients. At full capacity the factory will be capable of producing up to 125 houses or 250 flats per year, whilst maintaining flexibility in its output to manage market peaks and troughs. Shone added: “The Boutique Modern business model has been developed over more than 10 years to allow us to open satellite factories in locations where there is housing demand. “Instead of growing one large factory capable of producing thousands of homes in a single location, the Avis Way Factory will allow us the opportunity to pilot setting up in a new facility with our existing processes and systems before we expand to other sites, thereby enabling the sustainable growth of our business.” The new factory will feature solar panels to provide on-site power generation for lighting and power tools, feeding energy back into the grid when not required on site. It will also include electric vehicle charging points and more than 30 covered cycle spaces for employees to cycle to work, together with trees and plants to improve the look of the site. Councillor Zoe Nicholson, leader of Lewes District Council, said: “I’ve placed a strong focus on community wealth building at the council, so to see a local contractor we work with growing so dynamically is really exciting and welcome news. “I recall being at the opening of the homes in Fort Road, Newhaven, the first modular project undertaken by Boutique Modern for Lewes District Council. “It was a proud moment seeing new council housing opened that is highly sustainable and of such high quality. There is so much good news coming out of Newhaven and plenty still to come.” Newhaven Enterprise Zone programme director Corinne Day said: “We are so happy Boutique Modern is expanding into a new site in the town. “We cannot wait to cheer on the business as it continues on its exciting journey and it’s fantastic news it will create even more jobs for local people, both here in the town and later on in other sites across the region.” For more information visit: https://boutiquemodern.co.uk/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Critical government action required against backdrop of Local Authority housing emergencies and research showing 693,000 Scottish households in some form of housing need New planning application statistics published today have been described as “woeful” and “unacceptable” by sector body Homes for Scotland (HFS). The figures highlight a 41 per cent drop in in the volume of applications for major housing developments (those for 50 or more homes) in the first two quarters of 2023/24 compared to the same period a year prior. This continues the decline in such applications coming forward for the fourth consecutive quarter. Despite a continuing fall in applications, the average processing time for Q1 and Q2 2023/24 was 62.1 weeks (a rise from 36.4 weeks on Q1 and Q2 2022/23) against a statutory timeframe of 16 weeks. The number of local housing development applications has also fallen by 18 per cent across the same period, with average processing times for these being 17.8 weeks (more than double the eight week statutory timeframe). HFS Chief Executive Jane Wood said: “With the National Planning Improvement Champion yesterday concluding that there is no overall agreement on what successful planning looks like, I’m certain that we can all be united in the view that these woeful figures aren’t it and are simply unacceptable. “The Scottish Government must get Scotland’s planning system sorted if we are to ensure this and future generations are able to access warm sustainable homes that meet their needs and they can afford. “These figures highlight the scale of investment in planning services that is required at a time when the Scottish Government has announced a 43% reduction in the Planning budget from £11.7m to £6.6m. “They also show the critical need for immediate short-term solutions. We have already submitted the urgent actions we believe need to be taken by the Scottish Government and want to work with Ministers and officials to implement meaningful change as quickly as possible so that Scotland’s people have the range and choice of homes that they both need and deserve.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
