Thursday January 22nd 2026
East Berwickshire Independant Councillor James Anderson
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Small is beautiful for a Borders councillor as he calls on the Scottish Government to review its approach to affordable housing.
Private housing developers are currently operating under significant pressure due to inflation, rising construction costs, and tighter finance conditions.
Despite this, there remains interest from smaller private investors who are willing to deliver modest housing developments in rural communities.
East Berwickshire Independent represenative James Anderson believes these developments are often more appropriate in scale and character for Borders towns and villages.
However, housing associations tend to prioritise larger developments, which are more straightforward to manage and finance at scale.
Mr Anderson says this leaves a gap in delivery where smaller private developments could play a vital role in meeting local housing need.
Now he has written to Scottish Government to urgently review its approach to affordable housing requirements within the planning system, particularly as it applies to rural areas such as the Scottish Borders and in particular East Berwickshire.
Mr Anderson said: “The introduction of a 25 per cent affordable housing benchmark under National Planning Framework 4 has created an additional barrier for private developers, while at the same time funding constraints are making it increasingly difficult for housing associations to deliver the affordable housing element required.
“The combined effect is that many viable developments are simply not progressing.
“If the Scottish Government is serious about increasing housing supply and supporting economic growth in rural Scotland, I believe action is now required.
“This could include a temporary, blanket pause on the 25 per cent affordable housing requirement in areas where delivery has stalled; or targeted changes to make it significantly easier for housing associations to finance and deliver the affordable housing benchmark, particularly on smaller sites.
“I ask the Scottish Government ministers to give serious consideration to these issues, which actively hold back housing delivery, local investment, and economic growth in communities such as the Scottish Borders and in particular my ward of East Berwickshire.
“A more flexible and responsive policy approach would help unlock development, support local economies, and deliver the homes our communities need.”
Tweet Share on Facebook
