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Kevin Murphy, Head of Planning at HFS, said that with a recognised housing emergency in Scotland, and a surge in temporary accommodation, it is of "grave concern" to see the dismissal of appeals for thousands of new homes.
HFS believes that the dismissal of these appeals will have a detrimental impact on Scotland's housing supply and affordability. The organisation urges policymakers to reconsider planning decisions and prioritise the delivery of much-needed housing.
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Mr Murphy continued: "With most in areas which have declared local housing emergencies, these homes would have made an important contribution towards meeting need, however small in an overall context. For example, 3,500 homes would help over 21 per cent of the number of households in temporary accommodation. In marked contrast, 125 represents less than one per cent.
"Whilst we will be reviewing the appeals to understand the nuances of each, it should be remembered that the Scottish Government has already written to local authorities, stating that it expected to see ‘an emergency-led focus in decision-making on plans and applications. This provided clarification on policy, emphasising diversity of tenure and promoting more positive and constructive collaboration across sectors to support delivery.
"It would appear, however, that this in itself has not been sufficiently directive and that it is time to take more drastic emergency action such as reinstating the presumption of sustainable development where there is a shortfall in land supply until respective Local Development Plans are in place."
In February, the Competition and Market Authority's market study final report into housebuilding found the nature and operation of the planning system to be a key driver of housing undersupply. The Scottish Government's response is awaited.
