Moray Council home building figures for last year highest since 2011
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THE number of homes being built in Moray is at its highest since 2011.
Some 414 homes were completed last year, compared to an annual average of 332 for the previous seven years. New homes were predominantly focused on Elgin, Forres and Buckie last year.
However, planners have warned that projections for this year's house-building figures have been "significantly amended" to reflect the impact of Covid-19 on the construction industry, with site closures, lockdown and furlough affecting progress.
Moray Council’s updated housing land audit forecasts just 186 completions in 2020.
The figures come as the council’s planning and regulatory services committee reports a 13.6-year effective supply of housing land – land available to meet housing demand, without ownership constraints. This is more than double the minimum five-year supply required by national planning policy.
Chair of the committee, Councillor David Bremner (Fochabers Lhanbryde), said the provision of homes was key to retaining people in Moray and attracting talent to the region.
Cllr Bremner said: "Where to live is one of the most important decisions we’ll all face in our lifetime.
"Not only is the number of homes being built increasing, importantly the Moray Local Development Plan will make sure these homes fit our aspirations as residents: energy-efficient, well-connected homes with open space and access to active travel routes.
"It’s reassuring to know that there’s land available to meet market demand for house-building, and we’ll continue to work with developers to provide private and social housing where it’s most needed in Moray."
