The Homes for Scotland Annual Lunch & Awards 2023 was held on Fri 26 May at the EICC when around 1,000 attendees gathered to celebrate the successes of the sector over the last year.

We were delighted, as main sponsor, to support and be associated with both the event and with the sole industry organisation in Scotland focussed on increased delivery of new homes and the promotion of the housebuilding sector as a force for good.

And there is no doubt that the sector is indeed a force for good. A warm, energy efficient, digitally connected, spacious home is a basic requirement, need and aspiration of all of us. The shortage in housing supply means those can only be fulfilled through delivery of new homes by a sector that is functioning at its best and encouraged and incentivised to do so.  The new homes industry is sometimes much maligned and misunderstood, often due to local resistance to new development. There is a need to ‘shout from the rooftops’ (ahem), as Homes for Scotland does, about the benefits the sector brings and to strive to change perceptions of the industry.

Looking back to last year’s event, those involved in the sector were tentatively looking forward to leaving the challenges of Covid behind and to a more stable outlook. Well best laid plans and all that. The industry is impacted by countless contextual factors. As Chief Executive Jane Wood in her address at the Awards highlighted, there have been plenty of headwinds over the last year. Take your pick from NPF4 and its questionable contribution to delivery of new homes, increased building costs, the Scottish Safer Buildings Accord, Trussonomics and increased interest rates, the bedding in of the New Homes Quality Code and the rent freeze introduced with little to no consultation. We’ve not had far to look for obstacles to overcome. Yet, the excellent quality of the award nominees and winners demonstrated that they can indeed be overcome.

Sitting amongst those representing the sector on Friday and thinking about the challenges just mentioned, I was struck both by how complex the industry is, grappling with issues as diverse as net zero and private/public co-operation, and by how the ingenious, industrious, innovative and resourceful people working within the room manage to navigate those complexities.

Jane rightly mentioned in her address the need to make the case for investment in Scotland and there are certainly well-known concerns regarding recent policy changes reducing the appetite for investment in Scotland, not least the rent cap legislation and its adverse effect on private landlords, build to rent investors and social housing. New Minister for Housing Paul McLennan assured the audience of his intention to be an advocate for housebuilding and to make Scotland the best place in the UK to invest.  Both recognised the interdependency between public and private sectors in achieving the aim of increased housing delivery. This looks like an opportunity to reset the relationship between industry and government and through proper consultation to ensure that policy consequences, intended and unintended, are properly thought through. The assurances from Mr McLennan were welcome – now it is time to translate those words into actions help chart a course to navigate the headwinds and deliver more new homes. There is a measurable output which will determine whether the Scottish Government deliver on their assurances.

Many congratulations to all of the award winners – the competition was fierce once again this year – you certainly showcased the positive impact of the housebuilding sector!

Related News, Insights & Events