Latest news with #HomesforScotland
Scotsman
19-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
It's time to put housing at top of the political agenda
A massive income boost for Scotland should be used to help people get their own home, writes David J Alexander Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There weren't many winners in last week's Spending Review, but housing was definitely one of them Promising £39bn in grants for affordable housing to be made available to local authorities, private developers, and housing associations over the next decade is just the boost that the housebuilding sector needs. This enormous sum will go some way to addressing the current housing problems that England faces. Given that the Scottish Government is to receive record sums from the Westminster government through the Barnett formula it would surely be sensible, and vital for Holyrood to initiate a similar housebuilding plan. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Spending on this scale in England will start to address the huge shortages in the sector which will only get worse as the population increases. Replicating a similar scheme in Scotland would quickly address the major housing issues currently being faced. Infrastructure spending is a key route to economic growth, says David J Alexander Too often housing strategies are short term, piecemeal, and poorly funded affairs. What is required is a policy which stretches across electoral timeframes, has secure long-term funding in place to encourage the housebuilding sector to invest, and provide many more homes than are currently being built. But politicians tend to dislike long term planning because they may initiate a policy which their successors in office take the credit for. But this is serious. The housing emergency in Scotland could not be more serious. We need tens of thousands of new homes to be built today and utilising part of this substantial uptick in funding is the ideal moment to act. Indeed, it is such a good idea that it has already been suggested by Homes for Scotland, Shelter, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, and the Scottish Tenants Association who all believe that part of this new financial settlement should be used to address Scotland's housing emergency. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Providing homes for people must be a priority for the Scottish Government. It should be the one issue that all politicians can agree upon. Yet there always seems to be a reluctance to commit. Will Minister for Housing Paul McLennan favour using the extra cash for new homes? (Picture: Fraser Bremner-Pool/Getty Images) The SNP government is currently projecting 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, but this is not enough and there are increasing signs that this target will not be met. A commitment now to spend substantially more would provide real and immediate benefits both to people seeking a home and the wider economy. Infrastructure spending is a key route to economic growth, improved productivity, and rising GDP. It creates jobs, develops communities, provides homes, and a sense of place so is one of the most important investments any government can make. It would be tragic if this extra money is not used effectively to address Scotland's current problems. If, a year from now, the housing emergency is not seen to be addressed then it will show a lack of leadership and responsibility for the fundamental right of having a roof over your head. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Given that the Holyrood elections are taking place next year you would also think that this move would be a vote winner. The party which commits to a major upturn in housebuilding must surely be on to something. The time is ripe for some bold, innovative and positive policies to place housing at the top of the political agenda and help Scots find a home.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Up to £3bn may be needed to fix building cladding
Up to £3bn of public money may have to be spent assessing and removing potentially flammable cladding from buildings in Scotland. New estimates from the Scottish government suggest up to 1,450 residential buildings may need remediation work, including about 250 high-rises. It was previously estimated about 900 buildings were affected. However, full surveys will be needed to establish what needs to be done on a case-by-case basis, with 107 buildings being examined as part of a pilot phase. It is now estimated that the Cladding Remediation Programme could cost £1.7bn to £3.1bn over a 15-year period. If new legislation is passed by the Scottish Parliament, additional funding could be unlocked to fix building safety issues. Ministers making 'painfully slow' cladding progress Scottish ministers given new powers to tackle cladding The Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill will see a tax charged on the construction of certain new residential properties, in line with equivalent legislation in England. The bill seeks to raise about £30m a year to help fund work to fix residential buildings with unsafe cladding which have no linked developer. Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee said: "The Scottish government is committed to doing what is right and necessary to address the challenge of fixing buildings affected by unsafe cladding. "That includes putting the appropriate funding arrangements in place to ensure that the associated costs of cladding remediation do not fall directly onto affected homeowners. "I know that developers share our determination to keep people safe and this levy will ensure they make a fair contribution to these costs, just as they will be doing in England." He added: "I also welcome the continued co-operation of developers who have accepted responsibility for the assessments and any required mitigation and remediation of their buildings." Trade body Homes for Scotland, whose members deliver the vast majority of all new homes in Scotland, said they were committed to remedial action on buildings they had built. But a spokesperson raised concerns about the impact of a building safety levy. "In addition to the proposed Building Safety Levy, Scotland's largest home builders are already contributing to the remediation of other impacted buildings through their payment of the Residential Property Development Tax (RPDT)," they said. The spokesperson said the proposed levy would mean an additional layer of taxation which "will add thousands of pounds to the cost of new homes, pushing families, first-time buyers and future generations further away from home ownership". They added: "At a time when Scotland is facing a housing emergency and 693,000 Scottish households are living in some form of housing need, this is simply unacceptable." The UK government agreed in principle to devolve the powers needed for a Scottish Building Safety Levy last year. Last month ministers announced plans to speed up efforts to inspect and repair buildings in response to the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London that killed 72 people. The 23-storey tower's cladding is believed to have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. It broke out in the kitchen of a fourth-floor flat at the tower block in North Kensington, just before 01:00 on 14 June 2017. Within minutes, the fire had rapidly spread up the exterior of the building and moved across all four sides. By 03:00, most of the upper floors were well alight. As well as those killed, more than 70 people were injured. The Cladding Remediation Programme was set up in the aftermath of the disaster but Scottish ministers have been criticised for its slow progress. How are the laws on cladding changing in Scotland? 'No warning' over cladding evacuation, couple say
Scotsman
05-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Whiteburn wins Home Builder of the Year (SME) at the Homes for Scotland Awards 2025 – two years in a row
Whiteburn is proud to announce that it has been named Home Builder of the Year (SME) at the Homes for Scotland Awards 2025 — an incredible second consecutive year win, and three times in four years that the company has received this prestigious honour. Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The award recognises Whiteburn's ongoing dedication to delivering high-quality homes, thoughtfully designed communities, and a collaborative working culture. With a focus on both people and place, the company continues to uphold high standards across every aspect of its developments. Eve McCurrich, Managing Director of Whiteburn, said: 'It's fantastic that our small but dedicated team has been awarded Home Builder of the Year (SME) for the second year in a row. This recognition is a testament to the passion, talent, and hard work of everyone at Whiteburn. We're incredibly proud of what we do, and it's rewarding to know that our peers in the industry believe we're getting it right.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Whiteburn's approach centres on designing and building homes that are not only excellent places to live but also represent a valuable and enduring investment. The company places a strong emphasis on creating safe, positive working conditions for its site teams while maintaining the highest standards of quality and design. Eve McCurrich, Managing Director of Whiteburn and members of her team accepting the SME Homebuilder of the Year Award at this year's Homes for Scotland. 'Buying a home is likely the biggest financial investment someone will make,' added McCurrich. 'Our team is committed to making sure every home we build — and the communities we create — are truly worthy of that investment. Winning this award, as Homes for Scotland celebrates its 25th anniversary, feels particularly special.' Commenting on Whiteburn's success at last week's awards, Homes for Scotland said: 'Picking up the award for a second year running, Whiteburn is a company which impressed the judges with a passionate, heartfelt presentation demonstrating that customer, quality, design and staff wellbeing are at the heart of everything it does. Whiteburn is accomplished at addressing brownfield sites as the company brings creative solutions to the myriad of challenges faced by SME developers in today's home building arena.
Scotsman
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
New measures set to reduce private car use at new Midlothian developments
Parking spaces on new housing estates and other developments in Midlothian are set to be dramatically cut in a bid to crackdown on private car use. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... New parking standards for developers in the county reduce the number of visitor spaces required in new residential site from one for every two houses to no more than one for every 20 homes. And they will reduce the number of spaces for users of new sports facilities with golf courses to be told they can have no more than two spaces per hole and any stadium built with over 1500 capacity allowed no more than one space for every 150 seats. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A report due to go before Midlothian Council's planning committee next week for agreement says the new standards have been influenced by the Scottish Government's goal of reducing private car use. It says previous policy which advised developers the minimum number of spaces required for housing will be replaced with new rules setting out the maximum allowed. Visitor parking spaces on new housing estates in Midlothian are set to be reduced | Google Maps It will reduce the number of visitor spaces at residential estates to just five per cent of the number of homes – one in 20 – in towns with rural developments allowed up to 10 per cent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The report says: 'A consequence of the proposed new parking standards is that provision of car parking will be reduced across new developments,including in new residential developments. 'The parking standard will apply across a whole development; it will therefore be incumbent on those developing proposals to accommodate the parking standards within the design of the whole development.' As well as reducing the number of visitor parking spaces allowed, the new standards also require that 10 per cent of those provided have an electric charger in place, however to qualify for that in towns the development would have to have at least 200 new homes built. The report says the new parking standards were put through a 'targeted consultation' which involved community councils, Homes for Scotland and internal sections of the council. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad They cover new build larger stadiums which face a change of one parking space for every 15 seats to one for every 150 seats swimming pools being allowed a maximum of one space per 25 square metres when it used to be a minimum of one every 10 square metres and golf courses reduced from two and a half spaces per hole to two spaces. Minimum cycle parking places and EV charger spaces will also be introduced across all new developments. Councillors will be asked to agree to the new standards next week.
Edinburgh Reporter
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- Edinburgh Reporter
Dramatic cut in parking spaces on new housing estates in Midlothian
Parking spaces on new housing estates and other developments in Midlothian are set to be dramatically cut in a bid to crackdown on private car use. New parking standards for developers in the county reduce the number of visitor spaces required in new residential site from one for every two houses to no more than one for every 20 homes. And they will reduce the number of spaces for users of new sports facilities with golf courses to be told they can have no more than two spaces per hole and any stadium built with over 1500 capacity allowed no more than one space for every 150 seats. A report due to go before Midlothian Council's planning committee next week for agreement says the new standards have been influenced by the Scottish Government's goal of reducing private car use. It says previous policy which advised developers the minimum number of spaces required for housing will be replaced with new rules setting out the maximum allowed. It will reduce the number of visitor spaces at residential estates to just five per cent of the number of homes – one in 20 – in towns with rural developments allowed up to 10 per cent. The report says: 'A consequence of the proposed new parking standards is that provision of car parking will be reduced across new developments, including in new residential developments. 'The parking standard will apply across a whole development; it will therefore be incumbent on those developing proposals to accommodate the parking standards within the design of the whole development.' As well as reducing the number of visitor parking spaces allowed, the new standards also require that 10 per cent of those provided have an electric charger in place, however to qualify for that in towns the development would have to have at least 200 new homes built. The report says the new parking standards were put through a 'targeted consultation' which involved community councils, Homes for Scotland and internal sections of the council. They cover new build larger stadiums which face a change of one parking space for every 15 seats to one for every 150 seats swimming pools being allowed a maximum of one space per 25 square metres when it used to be a minimum of one every 10 square metres and golf courses reduced from two and a half spaces per hole to two spaces. Minimum cycle parking places and EV charger spaces will also be introduced across all new developments. Councillors will be asked to agree to the new standards next week. By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
