Scotland’s housing system is under significant strain, and the planning system in its current form is struggling to respond. Yet this moment also brings an important opportunity.
With the Scottish Parliament election in May, there is a timely chance for politicians and policymakers to take a fresh look at how the planning system supports housing delivery.
Many local development plans (LDPs) are now well out of date, yet they remain the framework for deciding where new homes should go.
The next generation of plans is not expected until at least 2028, leaving many suitable sites effectively stuck. If development cannot progress until new LDPs are adopted, it may be 2031 or 2032 before homes on currently unallocated sites are delivered.
Re-introducing the presumption in favour of sustainable development into National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) as a mechanism to allow non-allocated land to come forward for housing would be a first practical step. It would allow appropriate, sustainable sites to move ahead while new plans are prepared.
Urban regeneration
This does not mean lowering standards or bypassing environmental safeguards; it simply reflects the scale of Scotland’s housing pressures and the need for flexibility. Giving council planning officers delegated powers to determine planning applications on allocated housing sites in LDPs would also help speed up the planning process.
One of the biggest challenges lies in Scotland’s cities, where the ambition to prioritise brownfield development is widely shared. Urban regeneration brings clear social and economic benefits. However, many brownfield sites are complex, costly and, in the current economic environment, not financially viable without targeted support.
As my colleague Nicola Lunn, development director at Savills, notes: “Across Glasgow – and much of the central belt – there are dozens of allocated brownfield sites that simply aren’t viable in current market conditions. High remediation costs, infrastructure requirements and construction inflation have created a viability gap that developers cannot close alone.
“Targeted intervention, whether through infrastructure investment, remediation support or wider funding, will be essential if these sites are to deliver the homes they were intended to.”
This reflects a wider reality across Scotland’s urban areas: regeneration ambitions must be matched by the resources needed to make delivery possible. She also emphasises: “We need to address what the market is demanding: more family housing, and more homes with space for families to grow into.”
Support for MCAs
Another area of untapped potential lies with masterplan consent areas (MCAs). MCAs offer a way for local planning authorities to remove planning risk, provide consistency and encourage place-based development.
They can also help SME housebuilders, whose contribution to supply is both vital yet under pressure. Uptake of MCAs across Scotland has so far been limited, but with the right support they could open up new housing sites and accelerate delivery.
What Scotland needs now is a genuinely deliverability-led approach. That means assessing sites on whether they can realistically be brought forward within a meaningful timeframe; ensuring viability is a material consideration from the outset of the planning process whilst ensuring regeneration ambitions are backed by the financial support required.
None of this undermines the principles of NPF4 – it strengthens them by aligning policy with real world market conditions.
Scotland is not necessarily destined for a decade of under delivery. With a flexible, pragmatic and evidence-based approach it is possible to restore momentum, unlock stalled sites and deliver the homes communities across the country need.
With clearer priorities and a willingness to adopt practical measures, Scotland can turn planning ambition into real progress. The solutions are within reach; the task now is to put them into action.
Alastair Wood is head of planning for Savills in Scotland
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