Opinion

At a time of housing emergencies across the country, Scottish structural engineer Alan Ferns argues that demolishing RAAC-affected homes is not the only answer. It sometimes feels that, in the opaque realm of official decision-making, the temptation to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut is just too h

After plans for a mixed-use development that includes a 60-bed care home in the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh were given the green light, Craig Sanderson reveals what the planning history of the site means for future affordable housing developments.

Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA) regional director Lesley Anderson discusses the firm's AGM and why community investment is not just an opportunity, but a responsibility. As we navigate an era of rapid change, the need for strong, resilient communities has never been greater.

Nicky Lloyd discusses how the Edinburgh rental market has performed after the first six months of changed legislation. October marked the first six months of the changed rental landscape in Scotland, following on from almost two years of the restrictions put in place on tenancies by The Cost of Livi

UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) director Ken Gibb shares insights on Local Housing Systems Analysis (LHSA), its impact on Govan, and how it’s driving regeneration in Glasgow. The Local Housing Systems Analysis Backstory

Campion Homes joint managing director Dougie Herd believes last month's Housing and Social Care Accessibility Summit will result in a step forward for accessible homes in Scotland. On 26 September, I had the privilege of speaking as part of a panel at the Housing and Social Care Accessibility Summit

ESPC CEO, Paul Hilton, discusses the rising popularity of this traditional property and asks why more aren’t available to satisfy growing buyer demand. When you imagine the kind of property young buyers want to live in, you’d be forgiven for thinking immediately of glossy city apartments

UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) director Professor Ken Gibb explores the evolving challenges and opportunities in Scottish housing policy, focusing on renewing the Affordable Housing Supply Programme. In five years, Scotland has moved from the ambition of the 20 years strategy o

Chris McGinn from PfH Scotland highlights the challenges and opportunities of retrofitting homes across 20 small islands off the west coast of Scotland I’ve worked on hundreds of energy efficiency projects over the years, but in 2023 a request came through that was a bit different.

Following a conversation with Simon Fitzpatrick for the Scottish Housing News Podcast, Jimmy Black thinks about wheels and lifts, beautiful new Blackwood Homes and folks stuck up thousands of tenement stairs. Wheels. Perhaps architects should have an app which lets them push a virtual pram through e

Continuing his dive into the main findings of the RentBetter research project led by Indigo House and funded by the Nationwide Foundation, Professor Douglas Robertson covers the failings found in how the Housing Tribunal engages with tenants and raises concerns about what the research found wit

Stewart Macleod, managing director of the property business within AtkinsRéalis, outlines the importance of responding to the Scottish Government's policy consultation on a Passivhaus equivalent standard. The Scottish Government’s Passivhaus equivalent policy is currently out for consul

As the Prospecthill Court Retrofit Project comes to an end, River Clyde Homes' head of energy & sustainability Duncan Smith shares the challenges and benefits of bringing multi-storey blocks up to a modern standard.

Following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017, the Grenfell Inquiry’s Final Report (also called the Phase 2 Report), was published in September. It paints a bleak picture of years of failures by government and others in the construction industry and calls for far-reaching reform

Clare Booth from Aberdeenshire housebuilders Coldwells Build explains why the company is embracing the Passivhaus standard. The Scottish Government is currently undertaking a consultation on a policy to introduce a Scottish Passivhaus equivalent for newbuild housing across Scotland. The internationa