In an age rapidly being defined by the pressing need for sustainability and environmental responsibility, traditional methods of construction are giving way to more innovative approaches, with modular construction leading the charge towards a greener future.

Last week, Homes for Scotland (HFS) published a report revealing a concerning decline in the small and medium enterprise (SME) home building sector. A day later, the Scottish Government released its quarterly housing statistics. Neither paint a positive picture.

We are in the grip of a nationwide housing crisis, yet recent figures reveal that the timescale for average planning application is four times longer than the Government target. While this is clearly an issue for developers, why should this be an issue for those beyond the industry?

We’ve recently seen Scotland’s largest cities - Edinburgh and Glasgow - declare housing emergencies. This reflects the harsh reality across the country and there is no doubt more declarations are to follow.

Housing, for most of us, is one of the very few constants in our lives. Our home plays host to some of the happiest moments in our lives, provides us with fundamental security and is the key to improving life opportunities. It is somewhere we should be able to feel safe, warm and part of a community.

Scotland needs more homes. With a shortfall now approaching 100,000 houses since 2007, this is beyond doubt and we require a robust and ambitious plan to put this right. The Scottish Parliament will shortly vote on such a plan, the fourth iteration of the National Planning Framework (NPF4).

Award-winning Glasgow-based communications consultancy Perceptive Communicators has made six key appointments to support its business growth.

As we embrace post-pandemic life, social landlords as well as focussing on building new homes are also putting repairs and maintenance of existing stock at the top of their priority list. This drive to make significant improvements to tenants’ homes relies on key partnerships with contractors.