Orkney had one of the highest rates of new house builds in Scotland in 2017. Other areas in Scotland in the top ranking were :East Lothian, Midlothian, Fife,  and the City of Edinburgh. This is for all types of housing.

The building of new social housing again brought Orkney to the top of the table. These were housing association builds as  OIC built no new homes over that same period.

In Scotland the Right to Buy scheme closed to all new applicants on 31 July 2016, therefore, the number of sales under it are declining year on year.

For Scotland as a whole the number of new houses built and completed in 2017 increased by 5% or 17,601 new homes.

• private-led completions up 9% or 1,194 homes
• local authority completions up 21% or 239 homes
• housing association completions down 19% or 525 homes.

The total number of social sector completions (housing association and local authority completions combined) was down by 7% or 286 homes.

The affordable housing sector which includes privately owned and rented shows a considerable drop in homes for rent.  The Scottish Government has a  target to deliver 50,000 affordable homes, including 35,000 homes for social rent, over the period 2016/17 to 2020/21.

On a more optimistic note affordable homes in all sectors both those having been approved and those started are all up.

In the year to end December 2017

Total affordable houses started , up by 12% or 1,036

• social rented up by 17% or 878 homes
• affordable rented up by 9% or 102 homes
• affordable home ownership up by 3% or 56 home.

For more information: Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update (published 13 March 2018)