Our Work

Housing & Planning

Housing & Planning

Residential Tenancies 
Land-based businesses deliver much needed rural rented housing, often at affordable rents and in areas where social providers find it most challenging.  
We are working with members, the Scottish Government, local authorities and other stakeholders to ensure that the rural Private Rented Sector provides a good quality, effective housing supply, contributing to the sustainability of rural communities. 

Members can login to find an updates to legislation and information sheets on residential tenancies in the Document Library.  

New Housing Supply
Our members are delivery partners in meeting Scottish Government housing targets through both large and small developments. We are working to increase the affordable housing supply in rural Scotland by raising awareness of the opportunities and seeking supportive policies.

Please see the following case studies which illustrate some of the innovative work members have undertaken to bolster housing supply in their communities:
•    Stracathro – Affordable housing development that saved the local primary school
•    Dormont – How a Passivhaus development has helped address fuel poverty
•    Glengorm – Making more permanent and affordable homes on the Isle of Mull 
•    Kincardine Estate – Driving better funding strategies

Energy Efficiency
Rural properties are mostly traditional buildings that are known for being harder to treat so far as energy efficiency is concerned.  The EPC assessment process has not served these types of buildings well so we continue to campaign for further improvements to the EPC methodology while also lobbying for better funding availability to assist with energy efficiency upgrades to rural properties. SLE also calls for policy that promotes growth and skills development of local trades in this area.  Past Webinar Recordings are available to members wishing to learn more about energy efficiency options.  Bookings are open for the next Webinar on the changes to the EPC assessment software RdSAP10, which is taking place on 16th April. 

The consultation on the Scottish Government's Heat in Buildings Bill proposals has now closed.  SLE has submitted a response which can be accessed in the Document Library along with the summary of the proposals.   

We are also always keen to hear lived experiences of what energy efficiency measures members have carried out on their properties so we can share learnings with other members.  Please contact Anna Gardiner with your stories. 

Empty Homes 
Empty Homes are becoming increasingly common in rural areas. We are working to ensure that the complex reasons behind empty homes are understood and to make sure landlords are given assistance to bring their homes back into use where it is appropriate to do so. 

Repairing Standard
There are new changes to the Repairing Standard coming into effect on 1 March 2024.  An information sheet detailing these is available in the Document Library.

From 28 March 2027, the Repairing Standard will apply to houses on most agricultural holdings. We are working with the Scottish Government and other stakeholders to ensure policymakers understand the framework of agricultural holdings legislation and how these interplay with housing. 

Planning
Planning is also fundamentally important to our rural communities. We are working to influence planning policy at a variety of levels to achieve an efficient planning system that is fit for purpose in a rural context. We are currently working on the implementation of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, including the NPF4, development management, development planning and community engagement.

Outwith the Planning Act, we are working on the Scottish Government’s Permitted Development Rights review where we are looking to ensure a flexible approach to rural development is prioritised. We are also engaged in discussions around changes to planning fees and planning obligations.