Developer contributions for affordable housing have increased by more than a third over the three years from 2017/18 – 2019/20, a new government report on the value, incidence and impact of developer contributions has revealed.

The report also highlights that approximately £490 million worth of developer contributions were agreed in 2019/20, of which £310m (63 per cent) was for affordable housing and £180m supported the delivery of infrastructure.

Welcoming the report, Director of Planning for industry body Homes for Scotland (HFS), Tammy Swift-Adams said: "This report shows the vital importance of home building to the wider planning system and to achieving positive outcomes for communities and places".

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"National and local affordable housing programmes are dependent on continued support for the wider industry, and HFS has long made the connection that the public and private sectors are intertwined when it comes to housing delivery.

"Providing more market housing directly results in an increase in affordable housing and this report helps to further articulate the wide-ranging benefits all parts of the housing sector bring. This includes the wider contribution that home building makes to supporting growing communities, such as the £180m towards the expansion of schools and other education facilities across Scotland.

"Crucially, the report helps to illustrate why it is so important that National Planning Framework 4 clearly articulates the Scottish Government's ambitions for the delivery of more new homes of all tenures and how this will be facilitated. Only then will we be able to ensure that everyone living in Scotland has access to a full range of housing options that meet both their needs and aspirations."