SCOTTISH ministers are to hear first-hand of the challenges facing housebuilders.

Housing minister Paul McLennan and public finance minister Ivan McKee will attend a special round table organised by Homes for Scotland (HFS) on Wednesday August 21.

The group, which represents around 200 organisations, is demanding “urgent regulatory reform” amid a reduction in the small and medium enterprise (SME) housebuilding sector.

Independent research published by the group earlier this year found the proportion of new homes sold by those building between three and 49 homes per year had fallen from about 40 per cent in 2017 to 20 per cent in 2023.

Speaking ahead of the round table, HFS chief executive Jane Wood said the figures painted a “sobering picture” of the challenges facing the sector.

Mark Griffin, housing spokesman for Scottish Labour, said SME homebuilders were the “backbone” of the sector.

He said: “Here in Scotland we need to reform our planning system to ensure that our SME homebuilders have the support and stability they need to build the homes that people desperately need.”

Housing minister Paul McLennan said: “A well-resourced planning system plays a crucial role in supporting housebuilding and we are now working at pace to support planning services through an increase in resources and skills development.”