Opinion

Lesley Grant and Kimberley Tochel of BTO Solicitors LLP flag risks for employers following a recent ruling. An employee claiming disability discrimination has been awarded more than £134,000 in compensation. The recent Employment Tribunal judgment in Brosnan v Coalo Limited underscores the ass

John Forster, chair and founder of Forster Group, Scotland's largest integrated solar roofing business, discusses the affordability challenge of the emerging era of electrification. Eighty per cent of homes in 2045 will be the homes we live in today and therein lies a dilemma: How do we achieve net

Gregor Duthie analyses the burgeoning growth of the student accommodation industry in Scotland, highlighting the surge in demand, the transformation of traditional housing options, and the strategic considerations developers must address to meet evolving student preferences and requirements. Over th

Ahead of an upcoming webinar on homelessness prevention, James Mullaney and Ursula Hofeldt highlight how people who work or volunteer in local communities can play a role.

Si­mon Com­mu­nity Scotland has launched an in­no­va­tive yet ob­vi­ous so­lu­tion to pro­vide a permanent home, writes Dan Don­ald. October 10th is World Homeless Day, providing an important chance for us all to consider the impact of our homes o

Dr Jenny Preece, a research associate at the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, explores the dynamics of Home Improvement Services, their challenges, and the pursuit of an 'ideal' service. In July we asked policy makers, practitioners and researchers with an interest in home improvem

Jimmy Black reflects on recent criticism of Scotland's planning system and outlines an interesting legal case which involves NPF4 and West Lothian's Local Development Plan.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, outlines the touch decisions on climate change that await the Scottish Government. The realities of climate change, and their direct link to difficult public spending decisions, are now on our doorstep.

Changeworks chief executive Josiah Lockhart outlines how the UK Government’s policy U-turns will worsen the fuel poverty crisis, will not lower household energy bills, and how retrofitting homes with energy efficiency measures is the only way to bring bills down. Last week, Prime Minister Rish

Callum Chomczuk, national director of CIH Scotland, gives an update on plans to develop a workforce strategy for the housing sector. Two weeks ago we celebrated Scottish Housing Day and more specifically housing as a career.

With the transitional period for existing businesses to apply for a short-term lets licence coming to an end this week, Shoosmiths real estate lawyer Kirsten Belk assesses the new regime and its wider impact. Last year, Scotland’s local authorities were given new powers by

A council planning officer who has been reading articles published by our sister publication Scottish Construtction Now on Scotland’s Broken Planning System has blown the whistle on the technological barriers facing local authority planning departments.

Ahead of a panel discussion event next week, Rachel Munro, examines why for housebuilders, planners and local authorities, heat networks promise to increasingly be a hot topic in the months and years to come. It need not be overstated that Scotland doesn’t have the best weather and despit

Time for another of Craig Sanderson's self-proclaimed "frequent rants" about the use of the word ‘affordable’ to describe housing project proposals. Despite efforts by the City of Edinburgh Council and housing associations, the lack of supply of new homes for social rent (i.e. truly &lsq

Alexander Carle, director of asset management at Grampian Housing Association, explains how, with training and relevant qualifications, he and his team are proactively responding to one of the biggest challenges facing the housing sector – condensation and dampness.