Trade body Homes for Scotland has set out its asks of the new Scottish Government at the country’s largest single gathering of senior home building industry representatives.

With some eleven hundred guests in attendance at the organisation’s Annual Lunch in Edinburgh on Friday and a new cabinet secretary and minister for housing announced on Wednesday, chief executive Nicola Barclay stressed the importance of maintaining the momentum of the current planning review, the findings of which are anticipated over the coming weeks.

She also highlighted the crucial need for the industry to be involved in shaping new development land tax proposals so that the Scottish Government fully understands the business models used in the housing sector in order to help ensure the delivery of more homes and avoid any unintended consequences.

Even though the Scottish Parliament elections only took place a couple of weeks or so ago, Barclay is already looking ahead to next year’s local elections. Noting that the most effective way to meet the diverse housing needs and aspirations of Scotland’s growing population is to build significantly more homes, she recognised the challenge of this at local level and said: “We need to drive home the positive benefits home building offers, not only in terms of jobs and the economy but also in ensuring the sustainability and vibrancy of our communities.”