Burness Paull brings together industry leaders to debate the future of More Homes Scotland

Burness Paull has partnered with Building Relations to bring together senior leaders across housing, planning, development and investment to explore how More Homes Scotland can move from ambition to real delivery. 

At a roundtable attended by key figures from across the sector, the discussion focused on the practical steps required to accelerate housebuilding and unlock stalled development, reinforcing Burness Paull’s role at the centre of the conversation on Scotland’s housing future.

The session was chaired by Alasdair Sutherland, Head of Planning & Environment, who said:

“Two key points emerged from the discussion: firstly, the importance of the agency being positioned so that it can take a “whole system” approach to housing delivery and oversight; and, secondly, having the necessary powers and imperative to intervene effectively in the market to unlock and accelerate delivery. The agency will need to be flexible enough to respond to different regional and local challenges, but at the same time ensure greater consistency and predictability. That is key to securing the investment that is needed to truly accelerate housing delivery.”

Louise Chambers, Partner in Burness Paull’s Real Estate team, added:

“The industry benefits from a vast amount of expertise, desire and ideas to address the housing crisis and assist the growth of the housing industry. The key for More Homes Scotland will be to harness that in a way that is collaborative and efficient so as to make a brisk and meaningful impact in accelerating housing delivery in Scotland.”

Key takeaways

• This is a system challenge, not just a housing issue
  Louise Chambers highlighted that sites are being held back by fragmented ownership, infrastructure gaps and disconnected processes; driving delay, cost and risk.
• Authority matters as much as ambition
  Alasdair Sutherland warned that without real powers, the agency risks falling short in practice.
• Housing must be treated as economic infrastructure
  There was strong agreement that housing underpins growth, productivity and the ability to attract talent.
• Alignment is critical to delivery
  Progress relies on land, planning, infrastructure, finance and decision making working together as one system.
• Removing barriers is key to unlocking supply
  The priority now is practical: tackling the issues that actually slow development on the ground.

The discussion has informed a new report "More Homes Scotland: Turning a National Housing Agency into a Delivery Machine" setting out themes, ideas and opportunities.

You can read the full report here.

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