Scottish housebuilder calls for action on planning delays and stalled sites
Scottish housebuilders need faster planning decisions and financial support to bring stalled housing developments forward, according to Liz Hamilton, Senior Land and Planning Manager at AS Homes (Scotland) and Briar Homes.
Hamilton says lengthy planning processes, limited access to suitable land and expensive site investigations are making it harder for smaller developers to build new homes across Central Scotland.
Her comments follow an appearance at the Scottish Construction Summit in Glasgow on 22 October, where she joined a panel discussing the proposed More Homes Scotland agency.
“These are not problems that can wait for a new national body to find its feet,” Hamilton said in commentary issued on 27 October.
Scottish housebuilding remains under pressure
The concerns come amid falling housing construction figures.
Scottish Government statistics published on 29 September 2026 show that 17,057 new homes were completed in the year to June 2026, an 11% fall on the previous year.
Construction started on 15,543 homes, down 2%. Completions were at their lowest annual level since 2015, while starts were at their lowest since 2013.
Private-sector starts fell by 8% and completions by 7%. Social-sector starts increased by 26%, although completions fell by 25%.
Scotland’s housing emergency was formally recognised by the Scottish Parliament in May 2024.
Planning delays and difficult sites
Hamilton argues that securing land suitable for development is becoming increasingly difficult, particularly in Central Scotland.
Brownfield sites can present additional problems. Contaminated land, flood risks and infrastructure requirements may require substantial expenditure before construction can begin.
Lengthy planning processes can add further costs, potentially leaving developments financially unviable.
Hamilton believes these difficulties are particularly challenging for small and medium-sized housebuilders, which may have less capacity to absorb delays and unexpected expenditure than larger developers.
She argues that SMEs can play an important role in delivering smaller and more complex Scottish housing developments, including affordable and private homes.
Calls for practical support from More Homes Scotland
Hamilton wants the proposed More Homes Scotland agency to provide direct assistance in resolving development problems, rather than concentrating solely on coordinating housing policy.
Her proposals include financial support for early site investigations and infrastructure work, alongside greater intervention where developments are delayed by planning or other statutory processes.
She also wants housebuilders represented in the agency’s decision-making, with commercially experienced leadership capable of addressing the practical barriers facing developers.
Some of these priorities already feature in government plans.
When More Homes Scotland was announced in January 2026, its proposed responsibilities included preparing land for development, supporting infrastructure work on stalled sites and working with the Scottish National Investment Bank to attract investment.
A March government update also outlined proposals to strengthen planning capacity and support housing delivery.
The agency is expected to begin operating in 2027–28 and become fully functional in 2028–29.
For Hamilton, the concern is how quickly these plans will translate into assistance for developers facing problems now.
Impact on Scotland’s construction supply chain
Delayed housing developments can also affect the wider construction industry. Contractors, subcontractors and building-material suppliers may have to wait longer for work when proposed schemes cannot proceed.
Hamilton says AS Homes and Briar Homes have the capacity and subcontractor relationships to increase housing delivery, but need greater access to financially viable development sites.
She believes government, local authorities, housing associations and developers need to work more closely to address these barriers.
“Ultimately, More Homes Scotland should be measured by the homes it helps deliver, not the processes it creates,” Hamilton said.
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