Persimmon’s Scottish chairman, John Cassie, did not aim for the wall and miss when discussing the Scottish Government’s approach to facilitating new house builds.
On first glance, it seems fairly obvious that a publically-listed company would be unhappy at what it sees as politics preventing it from making more money, but it is not just in the interest of Persimmon shareholders that more houses are built.
The Scottish Government says it is determined to accelerate housing supply but with 16,498 new houses being built in 2016, the number of shiny front door keys being cut remains 36.5 per cent below pre-recession levels.
The fundamentals of the housing market remain strong, and the Help to Buy scheme has been an unmitigated success in assisting first time buyers, yet Mr Cassie claims his company aren’t able to start the number of houses they would like to.
Whether that is because land is not being freed up, or a lack of infrastructure preventing new starts, its is crucial that a solution is found that will enable the 20,000 homes per year target that is required to meet demand, and help the economy.
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