We must invest in Scottish recovery
The Scottish Building Federation is disappointed that the Scottish government’s call for a programme of accelerated capital spending of some £350 million in the recent UK Budget has not been answered.
SIGN IN TO ACCESS THIS CONTENT
You've reached your monthly limit for unrestricted access to Inside Housing content. To get free unrestricted access simply sign in below, or register your details.
Sign In
If you are already registered sign in for unrestricted access to alll the content on the site.
It appears that the chancellor ducked the opportunity to build economic recovery in Scotland by refusing to allow a further acceleration of money for investment in capital projects.
But given the situation we now face, it is time to re-open the Scottish budget for next year and re-assess our priorities.
The construction industry has shed 30,000 jobs over the past two years and construction apprentice places are predicted to fall by half this year. Some 160,000 Scottish school pupils continue to be taught in schools in a poor or bad condition.
The number of Scottish households on housing waiting lists is at a record high.
Early forecasts for 2010 suggest as few as 12,000 homes will be completed this year, way short of the Scottish Government’s own target.
While appreciating that this is a consequence of money accelerated into this year’s budget, councils still face a major reduction in funding for affordable housing next year.
In the face of these facts, I believe that more could and should be done to free up more of the money we have - and mobilise private capital - to invest in those frontline projects which will help build our recovery.
Michael Levack, chief executive, Scottish Building Federation