The Scottish Conservatives have pledged to build 100,000 new homes and bring 30,000 empty properties back into use in Scotland.

In publishing its manifesto ahead of the 2017 local government election, the party also said a "faster and more responsive planning system" is needed if housing supply is to become a policy focus.

As well as committing to improving the planning system, building new homes and upgrading existing empty homes, the Scottish Conservatives also pledged to invest over £1 billion in housing energy efficiency measures to ensure Scotland has no more hard to heat homes by 2030.

Other key highlights include;

• An improved consultation process during the drawing up of local plans, but also a limiting of appeals that are made to central government.


• Explore whether local authorities could levy planning fee supplements in return for guaranteed faster decision-making, with full refunds if such guarantees are broken.

• Establishing brownfield land registers and a presumption to build on brownfield where housing is a major component of the planning application introduced.

• Councils should develop serviced plots and make them available with plot passports that would not require planning permission. In addition, councils could mandate a percentage of large housing developments to be set aside as such serviced plots.

• Councils could offer first time buyer council tax discounts

• Compulsory Sale Orders for empty domestic properties should be introduced

• Encourage empty business premises being turned into affordable housing as well as 'Home on the Farm' schemes helping farmers convert empty buildings into housing

Launching the manifesto on Wednesday, Party Leader Ruth Davidson said: "The council elections are a chance for people to make clear the priorities they want in Scotland.

"We have two key points to make at this election. After ten years of SNP centralisation, we want to make the case for localism – so decisions are put back in the hands of your local community."

(LM/MH)