The trade body was responding to yesterday’s Ministerial Statement on ‘Delivering the Homes that Scotland Needs’ in which Mr McLennan blamed to Brexit and Westminster for creating many of the barriers to providing more homes.

“Housing affordability is an issue that is fuelled first by Brexit, then by inflation and the cost of living crisis,” the minister told Parliament. “In many parts of Scotland, house prices and private rents have risen faster than wages, pushing families like never before.”

On housing investment, Mr McLennan said the Scottish Government is taking steps to unlock investment to put housing on a sustainable footing for future generations, “while noting that short-term decisions taken at Westminster can continue to hamper our ability to deliver”.

He also pointed to a cut in financial transactions that has seen the funding used for housing investment cut by 62% since 2022.

While recognising the difficult economic landscape in which Scotland sits, Homes for Scotland said the minister should focus on the impact that planning and regulation currently have on preventing the delivery of homes in Scotland.

Director of policy Fionna Kell said: “We of course acknowledge the financial pressures facing the Scottish Government and are encouraged by a recent change of tone and more positive engagement but it is time to stop pointing to Brexit, inflation and Westminster as the root causes of the housing emergency, with policy failures stemming over decades. Given the scale and severity of the current situation, those in need of a new home deserve better than that.

“These issues have clearly been important, but they are nowhere near as pressing as the challenges posed by an underfunded and under-resourced planning system which takes over 62 weeks to process a major housing application or the overall policy and regulatory environment which currently serves to hamper the delivery of new homes rather than promote them. Both of these are entirely within the control of the Scottish Government and would clearly meet the objective that the Deputy First Minister set out at our conference last month, namely the need to identify affordable actions that can make the biggest impact.

“Speak to any home builder and they will tell you that the planning and consenting processes are the biggest inhibitors to all-tenure housing delivery.  Add to this the cumulative impact of new and proposed regulation which is now estimated to be adding c£30k in additional costs to the construction of a new home and it’s clear to see the challenges involved in housing delivery. 

“These two areas are completely within the control of the Scottish Government which could act immediately to make the change that is required to encourage investment and boost certainty and confidence should it wish. We’re still waiting on the blue lights to be turned on.”