Scotland's planning system is becoming "less well equipped" to deal with applications for major housing developments, according to industry body Homes for Scotland (HfS).

Recent Scottish Government statistics have revealed decision times on major projects was almost 18 weeks slower in the first quarter of 2016 than the previous quarter.

Homes for Scotland's Head of Planning, Tammy Adams, said major housing developments are "key" to providing thousands of homes "which our growing population desperately needs".

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"The delivery of these homes should be seen as a golden thread running through the planning system but, with average decision times slowing to 48.3 weeks (three times the statutory period of 16 weeks), this is simply not the case," she added.

"These statistics confirm the urgent need to ensure the planning system responds effectively to address Scotland's significant housing shortfall. It must do better to support the Scottish Government's aspiration to see a significant increase in home building to ensure housing requirements are met across the country – and enable it to meet the First Minister's ambition of delivering 50,000 new affordable homes over the course of this Parliament."

(LM/JP)