A new planning policy released for consultation today by the Scottish Executive aims to underpin the delivery of key housing policy objectives, it has been announced.

The draft Scottish Planning Policy 3: Planning for Housing (SPP3) encourages councils to collaborate to improve the assessment and identification of requirements across housing market areas.

Planning minister Stewart Stevenson stated: "Scotland needs more homes. We must improve the supply of homes to buy, to rent and for low cost home ownership across Scotland, especially in areas facing housing pressures."

He added that if Scotland is to benefit from economic growth, more properties must be built, adding that they must also be constructed to higher standards.

Concluding, he noted that a "modern" and "efficient" planning system is key to ensuring that this happens.

Halifax recently stated in its house price index that Scotland saw some of the UK's most impressive house price gains over the course of the last year.