New private rented sector housing delivery: Chief Planner letters
Scottish Government to produce planning guidance on the private rented sector.
This document is part of a collection
New housing delivery - Private Rented Sector
I am writing to advise you that the Scottish Government will produce planning advice covering delivery of additional private rented sector (PRS) units and, in the meantime, to draw your attention to this emerging area of the market and the opportunities which it presents to expand the supply of new housing in Scotland.
The Scottish Ministers attach importance to increasing delivery of high quality housing developments. New build PRS has the potential to become an additional route to quickly expand housing supply, helping to provide people with flexible housing options. The Scottish Government is accordingly working to encourage a thriving new build PRS, which provides good quality, well-managed homes that are constructed to the highest energy standards.
As part of this commitment, funding has been provided to the home building industry body Homes for Scotland to enable the appointment of Gerry More as a PRS Champion. Supported by a working party of experts, he has been exploring opportunities to unlock large-scale PRS development in Scotland, backed by institutional investment. I would encourage you to consider the potential of PRS in meeting housing need and demand in your area and to adopt a flexible approach in dealing with planning applications. Further information or discussion about the potential of the sector can be obtained from Gerry at prschampion@homesforscotland.com.
PRS is one of our priorities for expanding housing supply and Scottish Ministers expect decision-makers to provide a positive and flexible approach to development, as set out in Scottish Planning Policy (SPP). SPP also aims to achieve the right development in the right place; this includes making efficient use of existing capacities of land, buildings and infrastructure and contributing to sustainable development.
Planning guidance is currently being produced on housing and infrastructure delivery, and more information about the characteristics and challenges of PRS will be provided as part of this document.
If you have any queries about this letter, please do not hesitate to contact Anne Grove at anne.grove@gov.scot.
Regards,
John McNairney
Chief Planner
Contact
Email: chief.planner@gov.scot
Telephone: 0131 244 7528
Post:
Area 2-H (South)
Planning and Architecture Division
The Scottish Government
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
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