Meeting of the Parliament 13 September 2017
Why does the Scottish National Party want to talk about English history while the Scottish Conservatives want to talk about housing policy for Scotland now and in the future?
Like the first generation city and growth deals, housing deals need to be focused on regions, allowing clusters of local authorities to work together to bid for the package of support that they think best fits their need. That is happening in England, which Ash Denham wants so much to talk about, notably in the corridor between Oxford and Cambridge, and it needs to happen here in Scotland, too.
If delays in putting infrastructure in place are one of the main barriers to development, the new housing and infrastructure agency could also take the lead in designing innovative funding mechanisms to unlock that, such as developer infrastructure loans. Such loans need not be confined to road and transport infrastructure. Digital infrastructure, as well as necessary public services, such as primary schools, general practitioner practices and health clinics, could also fall within the agency’s remit.
Finally, I turn to new towns and garden villages. RICS proposed reviving the concept of new towns in its 2014 report:
“We encourage the Scottish Government to endorse effective provision in growing areas by enabling the delivery of six to eight major new communities. These could be formed as new towns, strategic regeneration within existing towns, or as extensions to current locations of growth.”
To that we say, “Let’s get on with it.” Again, that is already happening elsewhere in the United Kingdom and it needs to happen here, too. A new wave of garden cities and towns is being supported by the UK Government, from Northamptonshire to Oxfordshire to Essex, with quality design and cutting-edge technology creating local job opportunities, accessible green space and a high-quality public realm.