Question reference: S5W-10839
- Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 21 August 2017
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Current status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 6 September 2017
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking in the Scottish Borders to provide sufficient housing in light of the report, Household Projections for Scotland, 2014-based, published by the National Records of Scotland, which predicts that the number of households in the region will rise by 8% between 2014 and 2039.
Answer
Over the lifetime of the current parliament (2016-17 - 2020-21) the Scottish Government will investment a minimum of £62.857m to support affordable housing in the Scottish Borders, an increase of £25m from our previous investment over the period 2008-09 – 2015-16.
The Scottish Government provides a framework of housing and planning policy, including Scottish Planning Policy, Housing Needs and Demand Assessments and guidance on Local Housing Strategies, to support local authorities, who have strategic responsibility for housing within their areas, to determine the appropriate mix of new housing. It is therefore for Scottish Borders Council to decide the type, tenure, size and location of new housing for its area though the Local Development Plan and Local Housing Strategies in accordance with national guidance.