Chamber and committees

Yes. Thank you very much, convener.

I want to ask David Givan about whether we are getting the balance right in Edinburgh between building on greenfield sites and using brownfield sites. I have been looking at that for 10 years. You are right: Edinburgh has improved the situation with brownfield sites. However, if you look at the current register of derelict and vacant land, you will see that there are still enough sites in Edinburgh to build 1,300 houses on, yet we are building on greenfield sites. We are in a country that cannot feed its population using good arable land. Are we getting the balance right?

I notice that there is a problem with identifying the ownership of a lot of the sites. How much of a difficulty is that across the country?

The register highlights that around 18 per cent of the derelict land in Edinburgh has unknown ownership. Most of that might be in small patches.

Clare Symonds, do you have anything to add?

Maybe Esmé Clelland can go first?

Claire Daly, do you want to come in on that? I notice that you are taking some notes.

Thank you, convener. There are a couple of areas that I want to ask about. The first is to do with the building of quality homes. We all want good-quality homes to be built, but there is pressure on developers. I know from my case load that there have been a couple of recent new developments that have had problems. From speaking with construction guys, I hear that part of the problem is that, during winter, roofs are not tarpaulined, so the rafters get wet before the roof goes on, leading to problems later down the line. Does NPF4 support the building of quality homes and are there enough checks and balances in the systems for us to know that what developers are building is being built to the highest quality?

How often are housing need and demand assessed to identify the number of homes that are required in any particular council area?

Morag Watson wants to come back before we come to Clare Symonds.

You quite rightly pointed out that the policy was brought in with the 2019 act, so it has been around for the past five years. Is there evidence that has any influence on planning decisions?

There are a lot of gap sites that blight communities. I know that the local development plans set out opportunities for sustainable use of brownfield land. Looking at the register of vacant and derelict land as part of my research, I found that there are 3,500 empty plots across Scotland, which cover 9,500 hectares. To put it into perspective, that land could house 95,000 homes. Does NPF4 help to unlock the use of brownfield sites, or is it a hindrance, given that it says:

“In determining whether the reuse”

of a site

“is sustainable, the biodiversity value of brownfield land which has naturalised should be taken into account”?

Will it unlock these development sites?