Opinion

Michael Palethorpe discusses how the role of housebuilders has evolved beyond construction to include a responsibility for delivering meaningful and lasting social value through targeted community benefit initiatives. There has been an undeniable shift in the role of housebuilders across the UK. Wit

The City of Glasgow is on the cusp of a new era. With the recent publication of the Tall Buildings Design Guide, the city signals a bold and long-overdue commitment to vertical growth, an ambition that reflects Glasgow’s growing confidence on both the European and global stages. At GIA, we are

Jane Wood discusses the critical decline of SME homebuilders in Scotland and calls for urgent reforms to support the sector. In June 2024, Homes for Scotland (HFS) took a bold step to fill a glaring gap in our national housing data. Our landmark report, Scotland’s SME Home Builders 2024: Data

Collette Miller explores the Passivhaus and EnerPHit energy efficiency standards, outlining their development, core principles, and the benefits and challenges associated with their adoption by social housing providers aiming to meet net zero targets and improve tenant well-being. In the 1980s, the

Agricultural protection measures and early stakeholder engagement prove critical for Scotland's renewable energy future, writes David Ure, Thistle Wind Partners’ onshore civil engineer. Successful offshore wind development hinges on far more than turbine technology and marine engineering. Scot

Last week, Sheelagh Cooley, real estate partner and head of the Edinburgh office at Shoosmiths, delivered the keynote speech at the Scotland Investor and Developer Breakfast as part of the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF, Leeds, 20-22 May). She shared her market insights

Outlining frustrations with the planning system in Scotland, Liz Hamilton from AS Homes and Briar Homes calls for an ambitious national housing target that filters down into local delivery frameworks and for the next local development plans to allocate enough deliverable land. One year ago, Scotland

Laura Sefton, an energy specialist lawyer from CMS, highlights the challenges facing the housing sector over the decarbonisation of heat from buildings, explains why we’re seeing an evolving regulatory environment and examines the legal and regulatory implications of these changes. Scotland&rs

The growing popularity of self-builds and owner-managed conversions and renovations, perhaps fuelled by the popularity of Grand Designs and other such programmes, puts an additional potential responsibility on conveyancers when acting for purchasers of such properties and this is becoming a growing

After a decade of challenging misperceptions around the quality, safety, and potential of Scottish timber, BE-ST has launched the Mass Timber Centre of Excellence - a milestone in the journey to making UK-grown mass timber a mainstream, high-value construction solution. Sam Hart, associate dire

Greig Fenton, regional director at Thomas & Adamson, part of Egis Group, explores how early planning and a collaborative, impartial approach are essential to ensuring a smooth and cost-effective transition as billions in PFI assets return to public ownership. The great Private Finance Initiative

After Orsted announced its decision to cancel plans for the Hornsea 4 offshore windfarm, sparking debate on the viability of renewable energy projects due to financial challenges such as supply chain costs, higher interest rates and rising construction costs, Grant Morrison, partner in Aberdeen and

Thomas & Adamson's regional director Grace Mair explores the often-overlooked carbon cost of sustainability measures in the built environment, urging a more holistic approach to achieving net zero. Huge amounts of resource are being invested in improving the sustainability of buildings. During 2

With one year to go until the Scottish elections, this period provides challenges for businesses trying to achieve planning permission and funding. But, as public affairs consultant Jack Hope argues, it also provides some unique opportunities, like influencing politicians to prioritise the unblockin

Stephen Lewis discusses the challenges impacting Scotland's commercial property development, its economic consequences, and advocates for a collaborative public-private sector approach to stimulate growth. Scotland’s commercial property sector has undergone some significant changes in the last