Biodiversity strategy and delivery plan: fairer Scotland duty assessment

Access to affordable housing

A key strategy outcome, in line with Biodiversity Global targets, is to increase the area of protected land in Scotland by 30% by 2030. Increasing protected areas has the potential to result in planning restrictions including affordable housing developments. Evidence^[1] suggests restrictions on land for housing could impact on the availability for affordable housing for tenure/rent and that the location of households across Scotland can influence the level of social housing available.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that housing costs have a direct impact on poverty and material deprivation, and that increasing affordable social housing will help tackle poverty in Scotland.

In addition people on low incomes or who are unemployed and seeking work are more likely to live in the social rented sector. According to the 2019 Scottish Household Survey, 21% of households in the social rented sector did not manage well financially. This was significantly higher than among owner occupier households (3%) and households in the private rented sector (14%). While not all people living in deprived areas will be on low incomes, they are more likely to be.

Differences in housing costs between areas can limit the neighbourhoods that people on lower incomes can live in. For example, the Scottish Household Survey 2019 found that 47% of socially rented households were in the most deprived areas compared to 17% of privately rented households and 12% of owner-occupied households. This has been increasing since 2013.

Areas with high biodiversity value are seen as more desirable to live in, which increases house prices and private rents. The Cairngorms National Partnership Plan (2022-2027)^[2] has identified that median house prices are around six times higher than median household incomes within the Park.

The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Housing Market Pressures Report (2022)^[3] found evidence which indicates that there are considerable housing pressures across LLTNP including affordability and limited housing choice for a significant proportion of households living and working in the park area.

Some respondents to the consultation also raised concerns that that extra planning restrictions would drive up house prices.

“As with the cairngorm national park, there are extra restrictions on house building which drives up house prices.”

“Will make it harder to deliver affordable housing in rural areas”.

“The costs of living in the countryside are only going to increase and that will make it harder for the lower paid to continue to live in the countryside.”