Opinion

Zander Muego discusses the complexities of decarbonising the UK's existing housing stock, particularly social housing, in the pursuit of net zero targets while addressing fuel poverty and ensuring wider community benefits. The importance of decarbonisation is becoming increasingly well understo

CEO of Scottish property portal ESPC, Paul Hilton, shares his thoughts on how the new UK government could help to bring about much-needed change in Scotland’s housing. While housing is a devolved matter, ESPC hopes that the promises made by Labour in the recent general election might help to b

Jane Wood, chief executive of Homes for Scotland, discusses the alarming decline of small and medium-sized home builders in Scotland and its impact on the housing crisis, emphasising the need for urgent policy reforms to support the sector. Last week, Homes for Scotland (HFS) published a report reve

Funders are out in force and looking for opportunities as the commercial property sector in Scotland once again demonstrates its resilience, writes Ian Woods as he analyses trends in various sectors and critiques government policies. This time last year, it would have taken a large amount of br

Thomas & Adamson partner Hamish Paterson provides his take on new legislation giving Scottish Ministers powers to assess and remediate buildings which have unsafe cladding. In mid-May, the Scottish Parliament voted unanimously to pass new legislation that will speed up the removal of potent

Fraser Lynes, managing director of Cruden Homes, discusses the Scottish housing crises and the limitations of the NPF4. Scotland’s housing system is at a critical juncture. The Scottish Government has acknowledged the nation’s housing emergency and announced its intention to recognise ho

Paul Coulter, managing director at Eden PAM, the local asset manager on behalf of VCM Global Asset Management, argues that properties on the fringe of city centres are proving more popular for businesses to locate their offices. In just half a decade, the workplace has undergone a dramatic transform

Federation of Master Builders Scotland director Gordon Nelson shares news of the organisation's Scotland board election results which were announced at a gathering of members in Glasgow.

Julie Moulsdale from Perceptive Communicators shares how the homebuilding industry can use proactive community engagement to unlock the planning system. We are in the grip of a nationwide housing crisis, yet recent figures reveal that the timescale for average planning application is four times long

The full impact of the Cladding Remediation Bill, which was recently passed in the Scottish Parliament, is still to be felt within the construction sector, write Shona Frame and Ryan McCuaig. The 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy, which claimed 72 lives, put a sharp focus on the safety of cladding systems

Formal building contracts are a fundamental part of any construction project, specifying the contractual obligations on all parties, avoiding any ambiguities and the need for third-party interventions that can add to project costs and timescales, writes Ian McCann. The Joint Contracts Tribunal

Muir Group chief executive Martin Smith takes a positive look at housebuilding across the UK amid indications of recovery for the sector. There is no denying that the challenges faced across the housebuilding and wider construction industry over the last few years have been particularly ac

Following the launch yesterday of the Housing & Social Care Accessibility Summit 2024, Dougie Herd, the joint managing director of event headline sponsor Campion Homes, shares his thoughts on the importance of accessible housing and why Campion is supporting the event. As the joint man

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government announced plans to ease permitted development rights (PDRs) for rooftop solar installations. With the new proposals having now come into effect – what does this really mean for the business landscape in Scotland? Graham Provest, Shawton Energy's susta

Bruce Robertson, lending manager at Atelier, outlines the challenges facing Scotland’s housing market and offers insights on how to rectify these issues. In May, the Scottish Government finally acknowledged the scale of the housing emergency. Previously confined to major cities such