The Scottish regional chairman of UK housebuilder Persimmon says his business is ready to deliver more new homes for Scotland in 2016 on the back of a very busy 2015.

Speaking as Persimmon Homes released a trading update, John Cassie said he and his team were ready for the challenges ahead.

Mr Cassie said: “As a business, 2015 was a strong year, with UK completions increasing 8 per cent to 14,572. The second half of the year was particularly strong, with the company legally completing 7,717 homes, which was 13 per cent more than in the same period in 2014.

“Here in Scotland our focus is on delivery of a range of homes to suit all buyers, whether they are first time home purchasers or people looking to move up the ladder.

“Our new office in Perth will help to sustain our continued growth in Scotland with 16 new developments opening in the first half of this year in towns and villages that include Bridge of Weir, Cambuslang, Wallyford, Leith and Perth.

“We are actively working with local authorities to gain planning permission in areas such as East Kilbride, Kinross, East Calder and Larkhall for the second half of 2016. We know that there is a huge need for new homes in these areas and we would call on local planning teams to work with us to ensure we deliver.”

Persimmon continues to recruit locally as the business grows. At the end of 2015, in total, the business employed 4.500 people, with more than 500 directly employed within Scotland. This will go up as Persimmon increases the number of homes it builds.

Alongside building new homes, Persimmon in North, East and West Scotland will continue to donate to local good causes through the Community Champions programme. The business gives away two grants of £1000 every month. Local groups and charities can apply for funding by visiting www.persimmonhomes.com/charity.

Persimmon will release its final financial results for 2015 on 23 February 2016.