Scottish Government

Introduction

Housing has an important role to play in the health and well-being of its people and communities and helps to deliver sustainable economic growth. It also has a long-term impact on Scotland's urban and rural landscape.

Planning helps to deliver the Scottish Government's key housing policy objectives on quality homes and higher environmental standards. It does so by identifying the land needed to support the right kinds of houses in the right places to meet both housing need and market demand across all tenures.

Policy summary

Scottish Planning Policy sets out national planning policy on housing. This includes:

• the identification of housing need and demand on a more consistent and robust basis through joint working between local authorities and a range of partners;
• the use of the planning system to facilitate the construction of well-designed, good-quality housing in sustainable locations;
• the allocation of a generous supply of land to meet identified housing requirements across all tenures, including affordable housing;
• mechanisms to help ensure that planned housing is built, including quick and efficient review of development plans to enable the maintenance of a 5-year effective land supply; all of which supports
• the creation of high-quality places, which support the development of sustainable communities.

Publications

• Letter from the Chief Planner - Advising Heads of Planning of the Scottish Government's view that restrictions on the occupancy of new housing are rarely appropriate and so should generally be avoided

• Letter from the Chief Planner - Affordable housing policies, and the importance of these reflecting the current economic climate
• Letter from the Chief Planner - Providing an Effective Land Supply for Housing
• Letter from the Chief Planner - Housing for retired tenant farmers
• Letter from the Chief Planner - Planning for Travelling Showpeople
• PAN 2/2010 Affordable Housing and Housing Land Audits
• PAN 67 Housing Quality
• PAN 72 Housing in the Countryside
• Circular 2/2012 Houses in Multiple Occupation: Guidance on Planning Control and Licensing
• The Scottish Government has published local housing strategy guidance and housing need and demand assessment guidance which will assist in shaping local authorities' housing strategies and identifying the housing requirement.
• The Centre for Housing Market Analysis also provides information on housing need and demand assessments.
• Consultation on Calculating Commuted Sums for Affordable Housing Land - Summary of Comments

The information in this presentation and frequently asked questions may also be helpful though readers should be aware that the policy in SPP3 which had at that time just been revised has now been consolidated into Scottish Planning Policy. Readers should therefore refer to the SPP for the definitive policy position. (SPP3 has been revoked).

Also Worth Seeing

Housing Policy Discussion	The Scottish Government commissioned research into the effectiveness of housing land audits in monitoring housing land supply in Scotland
General Register Office for Scotland	Investigation of Occupancy Controls in Rural Housing
Scottish Government Housing and Regeneration Topic	Bringing Private Sector Empty Houses into Use
Monitoring Affordable Housing Policies

For further information on Housing please contact:

Anne Grove
0131 244 5919