Land shortage
In your report ‘Sell land to people who want to live there, not builders’ (Scotsman, 7 January), MSP Andy Wightman proposes that land should be sold for less than market value in order to help
tackle Scotland’s housing crisis. By focusing on the current model of delivery, and suggesting that it is flawed, Mr Wightman chooses to avoid looking at the root cause of the problem.
The fundamental reason that land prices have risen significantly in recent years is due to the continued restriction of land allocated for housing development through the planning system.
The only realistic way to address our shared concerns about housing need and affordability is to significantly increase housing land supply, and to identify a wide variety of sites that are suitable for developers of all shapes and sizes, including individuals and collectives.
Local authorities already have the powers to compulsorily purchase land, put in the necessary infrastructure and sell it for self-build plots, and many have done so in the past. In order to continually achieve this aspiration and ensure a plentiful supply of land is available for everyone who wants to access it, local authorities must, in the first instance, allocate sufficient land in the places people want to live.
We also need to remove the complexity and uncertainty in the planning system which too often frustrates and delays housing delivery and makes it harder for new businesses to enter the home building industry.
What we therefore want to see emerge from the Planning Bill is a streamlined process that allows all involved (local authorities, communities, developers and those looking for a new home) to benefit from a system that is clear to understand, allows for early and meaningful engagement, and delivers the many thousands of homes of all types that our growing population needs.
We look forward to working with Mr Wightman and the other members of the Local Government and Communities Committee to ensure that the Planning Bill emerges as part of the solution. NICOLA BARCLAY
Chief executive Homes for Scotland, Edinburgh