News

All judges and sheriffs in Scotland will receive specific training on domestic abuse ahead of the introduction of legislation which creates a new offence criminalising physical and psychological abuse of partners or ex-partners. The Judicial Institute for Scotland, the body responsible for educating

Private and affordable housebuilder Springfield Properties welcomed MSP Jamie Hepburn, minister for business, fair work and skills, to its Dykes of Gray village at Dundee. The minister visited Dykes of Gray to meet with a number of Springfield employees in a bid to see first-hand the variety of care

Scotland’s housing sector has called for “radical change” to tackle homelessness after new figures revealed an increase in applications for homelessness assistance and households in temporary accommodation. New statistics from the Scottish Government found that the number of applic

Leading architects, designers and builders are to partner with researchers at The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) to develop a specific Scottish approach to Passivhaus. The Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit (MEARU) at GSA, together with John Gilbert Architects, Stewart & Shields an

The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) has welcomed a report by the Scottish Parliament’s local government and communities committee which called for additional measures to be included in the Fuel Poverty (Target, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Bill. The Bill proposes a ne

A Fort William landlord has been successfully prosecuted for operating a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) without a licence. Mr Harjinder Singh Randhawa, the owner of the 1st & 2nd floor flat at 39 High Street, pled guilty and was fined £1800 at Fort William Sheriff Court on January 28.

After successfully delivering Phase 1 in July 2018, CCG Asset Management has been chosen to undertake a further phase of works as part of Linthouse Housing Association’s ambitious stock improvement programme that will see around a further 120 properties upgraded in the Govan area of Glasgow. C

An MSP has cast doubt on the legality of key safe deposit boxes often installed on tenement doors in areas with a high proportion of short-term lets. Andy Wightman, housing spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, said it was "hard now not to notice" the number of key boxes appearing on the front of te

Small and medium-sized (SME) firms in the Scottish construction sector are remaining stable in the face of continuing political uncertainty, according to a report by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Scotland. The FMB’s latest State of Trade Survey found that the pace of growth amon

Planning consultant Colin Lavety makes the case for housing land allocation decisions to be made at a national level which he argues would standardise the process and increase the number of homes being delivered. Encouraging local authorities to empower communities across Scotland is a man

Kind-hearted Hillcrest staff have raised over £12,000 last year for a range of local charities and projects. The money was raised through various initiatives taking place throughout 2018 to support a number of charities working to make a difference.

Dunbartonshire locals are being encouraged to help older people in their area by volunteering their time as befrienders. Bield Housing & Care is currently looking for volunteers to help support tenants in a variety of activities, from simple walks in the park to chatting over cups of tea.

Youth homelessness charity Rock Trust has outlined how its Nightstop Service is offering safe and comfortable short-term accommodation to young people in crisis. The charity wants to reach out to the sector to make sure that youth organisations know they can refer young people that could benefit.

The time taken for planning decisions on major developments in Scotland, particularly housing, has improved with timings for smaller projects remaining stable, according to new figures. Statistics on quarterly planning performance from Scotland’s chief statistician found that the overall avera

Plans to enhance the delivery of housing adaptations services for disabled people in Angus, including Care and Repair services, have been approved by Angus Council. A report to the policy and resources committee were yesterday asked members to agree a contract procurement strategy for the supply and