Scottish housebuilding is at “breaking point”
Summary
Industry bodies and agents are warning that new housing delivery in Scotland is under severe pressure, with rising construction and finance costs, alongside additional policy burdens, pushing many schemes to pause or abandonment. The article also cites a decline in private sector new-build starts and says the housing emergency in Scotland is worsening, with Glasgow highlighted as particularly affected.
Why it matters
Residential surveyors working on development, valuation and viability assessments need to be aware that project feasibility is deteriorating, which can affect pipeline, land values and transactional activity. The mention of the Building Safety Levy and broader housing emergency also signals a changing policy and cost environment that may influence advice to clients.
Key points
- Real Estate:Scotland says new housing viability is at breaking point.
- Rising construction and finance costs are making development proposals less viable.
- The new Building Safety Levy is cited as an additional burden on housebuilding.
- Private sector new-build starts in Scotland fell by 8% year on year to the lowest level since 2013.
- Glasgow is described as being particularly affected by the downturn.
This is an RPSA summary of a publicly available article. The full content remains with the original publisher.
