New research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has revealed two-thirds of Scottish 'not-in-my-back-yarders' (NIMBY) are concerned about house prices for the next generation.

The FMB's data states almost 65% of NIMBYs who are concerned about new houses or flats being built in their community also admit to feeling frustrated that the next generation can't afford to buy a property in the local area.

In addition, nearly 29% of all Scottish home owners are concerned about houses or flats being built in their community having a negative impact on where they live, while 43% feel frustrated their children, grandchildren or great grandchildren cannot afford to buy a property in the same area as them.

Gordon Nelson, Director of FMB in Scotland, said the industry is still not building enough homes in Scotland.

"More than 24,000 houses were built in Scotland every year during the first nine years of the Scottish Parliament," he said."However, since the economic downturn almost ten years ago, these figures started to slip and in 2016 just 16,498 new homes were built in Scotland.


"The importance of delivering more housing in Scotland is so great that Nicola Sturgeon has committed to delivering 50,000 more affordable homes over the course of this Parliament. One of the reasons why new homes don't come forward can be the disproportionate power of the 'not-in-my-back-yard' gang - the NIMBYs."

Vicky Biggar, a 35-year-old Edinburgh resident, said she is concerned about overdevelopment in Scotland.

"I understand that the future generations will need to have somewhere to live. Yet, I am concerned about the impact new homes will have on the character on many towns in Scotland," she said.

"If we are to build thousands of identical new build homes at once there will be no unique character in our towns any more. House building should happen organically if the homes are to last for generations to come."

However, Mr Nelson responded: "It's ironic that two-thirds of Scottish NIMBYs admit to being frustrated that we're not building enough homes for future generations while in the same breathe voicing concerns about new homes being built in their area. Our research lays bare the contradictory position that too many of us still fall into – we can't have it both ways. Either we must accept that we need to significantly increase the numbers of new homes, or we must accept that future generations won't enjoy the same quality of life as their parents and grandparents."

(LM/JP)