Chamber
Plenary, 22 Feb 2007
22 Feb 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Affordable Housing
The group reflects the people involved in delivering affordable housing—its composition reflects local authorities, tenants groups and the private housing sector. We think that we have a group that reflects the various interests that we need to work with.
In November, we announced that we would review Scottish planning policy 3 on planning for housing. We will have a public consultation on the issue shortly. The review will look at securing more generous housing land allocations and faster land release. Another central issue will be the need to ensure that development plans identify sufficient land for housing where a need has been properly established. We will consider how guidance can more closely integrate housing needs assessments and development plans, and we will consider the role of ministers in intervening when development plans do not reflect housing needs. I encourage participation in the consultation and will be keen to hear about local experiences.
Our planning advice note for affordable housing—PAN 74—has been an important addition to our suite of planning guidance. It has set a benchmark: 25 per cent of all new housing developments are to be affordable homes. There are early indications that the 25 per cent benchmark is bringing greater certainty to development proposals and leading to fewer delays in negotiations. I have been encouraged to see a good number of local authorities embracing the principles of PAN 74. Those authorities are reflecting its ethos in their local affordable housing policies. Key players are taking hold of the tools in PAN 74. That is good news.
When I visited Perthshire earlier this month I went to the site at Oudenarde, near Bridge of Earn. Our land acquisition funding last autumn helped with its purchase. I have been struck by the suite of options out there, all ready to be used. At Oudenarde, a long-term strategy has been put in place. The site will be master planned and will have a mixed-tenure setting. In accordance with PAN 74, it will integrate tenures and make affordable housing a priority—and all this in an area with a right-to-buy pressured area designation in place to protect future stock. To me, that spells forward thinking and I commend the local partners for it.
I will touch briefly on sustainable housing. Sustainability is not an aspiration to which we can pay lip service; it is a principle that must be carried forward in everything we do—especially in our housing of the future. We are continuing to develop our package of sustainability measures for new buildings, including affordable homes. That is happening through building regulations, planning guidance and guidance to housing associations.
Since 2002, the building regulations will have reduced carbon dioxide emissions from new buildings by over 40 per cent. The new emissions targets are set at such a level as to encourage designers to make use of low-carbon or zero-carbon technologies, such as heat pumps and biomass boilers.
I move,
That the Parliament welcomes the importance that the Scottish Executive has placed on ensuring the provision of affordable housing across Scotland; notes the significant investment of £1.2 billion that is delivering 21,500 new affordable homes and the success of the innovative shared equity scheme, Homestake; welcomes the additional steps that have been taken to increase the proportion of affordable homes within new housing developments, and notes the intention of the Executive to ensure that affordable houses are also sustainable houses.
In November, we announced that we would review Scottish planning policy 3 on planning for housing. We will have a public consultation on the issue shortly. The review will look at securing more generous housing land allocations and faster land release. Another central issue will be the need to ensure that development plans identify sufficient land for housing where a need has been properly established. We will consider how guidance can more closely integrate housing needs assessments and development plans, and we will consider the role of ministers in intervening when development plans do not reflect housing needs. I encourage participation in the consultation and will be keen to hear about local experiences.
Our planning advice note for affordable housing—PAN 74—has been an important addition to our suite of planning guidance. It has set a benchmark: 25 per cent of all new housing developments are to be affordable homes. There are early indications that the 25 per cent benchmark is bringing greater certainty to development proposals and leading to fewer delays in negotiations. I have been encouraged to see a good number of local authorities embracing the principles of PAN 74. Those authorities are reflecting its ethos in their local affordable housing policies. Key players are taking hold of the tools in PAN 74. That is good news.
When I visited Perthshire earlier this month I went to the site at Oudenarde, near Bridge of Earn. Our land acquisition funding last autumn helped with its purchase. I have been struck by the suite of options out there, all ready to be used. At Oudenarde, a long-term strategy has been put in place. The site will be master planned and will have a mixed-tenure setting. In accordance with PAN 74, it will integrate tenures and make affordable housing a priority—and all this in an area with a right-to-buy pressured area designation in place to protect future stock. To me, that spells forward thinking and I commend the local partners for it.
I will touch briefly on sustainable housing. Sustainability is not an aspiration to which we can pay lip service; it is a principle that must be carried forward in everything we do—especially in our housing of the future. We are continuing to develop our package of sustainability measures for new buildings, including affordable homes. That is happening through building regulations, planning guidance and guidance to housing associations.
Since 2002, the building regulations will have reduced carbon dioxide emissions from new buildings by over 40 per cent. The new emissions targets are set at such a level as to encourage designers to make use of low-carbon or zero-carbon technologies, such as heat pumps and biomass boilers.
I move,
That the Parliament welcomes the importance that the Scottish Executive has placed on ensuring the provision of affordable housing across Scotland; notes the significant investment of £1.2 billion that is delivering 21,500 new affordable homes and the success of the innovative shared equity scheme, Homestake; welcomes the additional steps that have been taken to increase the proportion of affordable homes within new housing developments, and notes the intention of the Executive to ensure that affordable houses are also sustainable houses.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid):
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5617, in the name of Rhona Brankin, on affordable housing.
The Minister for Communities (Rhona Brankin):
Lab
As we move towards the end of the second session of Parliament, it is time to take stock of our many achievements on affordable housing provision. I begin by...
Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP):
SNP
Given the desire to create affordable housing, why are compulsory purchase orders used so little to release land for housing, particularly in pressured areas...
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
In rural parts of Scotland such as islands, spend has increased. Communities Scotland is working in creative ways with the Forestry Commission Scotland to re...
Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP):
SNP
Will the minister give way?
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
No; I must make progress.I referred to the forest land scheme, which I launched last year and which is another measure that is targeted specifically at rural...
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
Will the minister give way?
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
I would like to make progress.Our affordable housing funding is being supplemented by the additional income from reduced council tax discounts for second and...
Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind):
Ind
My question relates directly to the composition of the group. Are tenants in the majority?
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
The group reflects the people involved in delivering affordable housing—its composition reflects local authorities, tenants groups and the private housing se...
Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP):
SNP
I confess to being astonished that the housing minister could present a debate on the Government's record in housing and could speak for 11 minutes without m...
Margo MacDonald:
Ind
Would an SNP-led Executive ensure that the City of Edinburgh Council was able to build council houses, as the tenants in Edinburgh have said no to stock tran...
Tricia Marwick:
SNP
I have repeatedly said to the minister that all tenants have been more or less blackmailed into a yes vote. I have made it clear to ministers that they shoul...
The Deputy Minister for Communities (Des McNulty):
Lab
In any and every ward in Glasgow that has social rented housing, substantial investment is being made in repairs and central heating. Huge amounts of investm...
Tricia Marwick:
SNP
The tenants voted for small housing associations, as the deputy minister—
Des McNulty:
Lab
They voted for investment.
Tricia Marwick:
SNP
Wait a minute: the minister did not address the stock-transfer policy in her speech, so Des McNulty is not going to waste time trying to defend it in mine. T...
Des McNulty:
Lab
Will Tricia Marwick give way?
Tricia Marwick:
SNP
No I will not. Professor Bramley highlighted the fact that, as well as a need for new affordable housing to keep pace with demand, there was a backlog to be ...
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
Will Tricia Marwick give way?
Tricia Marwick:
SNP
No, I will not.That statistic shows one of the reasons why there is such pressure now.I find it hard to believe that the Bramley report did not take housing ...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
You have one minute.
Tricia Marwick:
SNP
Most are not eligible for social housing, but they are being priced out of the housing market.I hope that you will give me a couple more minutes, given the i...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
No. I have given you a bit more. I will give you another minute from now.
Tricia Marwick:
SNP
Okay. Many of those people are precisely the kind of people that Scotland needs—young graduates and families who want to put down roots.I recommend that MSPs...
Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con):
Con
We Conservatives consider the need for affordable housing to be among the top priorities for Scotland. We know that both the private and public rental and pu...
Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP):
SNP
Will the member explain the Conservatives' policy on council houses? Do they regard councils to be appropriate landlords and will they continue to support lo...
Mr Davidson:
Con
I will come to that point in a moment, when I will reply to the member fully.The council house service is under increasing pressure, with the average debt pe...
Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab):
Lab
Is the member advocating not offering tenants a vote with regard to housing-stock transfer? Is he suggesting that we should just go ahead and do it without a...
Mr Davidson:
Con
That is not what I said at all. However, if the Government had gone about the task properly, people would not have voted no—they did so because of the confus...