The Chairman of The Highland Council’s Planning, Environment and Development Committee is calling for the Scottish Government to urgently review the recent changes to building legislation regarding water supply for fire fighting which are having a serious detrimental effect on housing development in the Highlands.
A new mandatory building standard requires every new house to have a water supply for fire fighting and this will add to the construction costs. Previously domestic buildings were exempt from complying with this standard.
Councillor Ian Ross said: “There has been no consultation with local authorities over this change and while no one wants to be complacent about the risk of fire, we also need to ensure that people looking to build their homes in rural locations are not burdened with onerous costs. Due to the geography of our area this issue is important as it impacts on so many people at a time when we are actively promoting development in the countryside through our Development Plan.
Text from HC press release here
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