RETROFITTING PLAN FOR SCOTLAND’S DRAUGHTY HOUSING STOCK MOVES A STEP CLOSER

Two in every five occupied homes in Scotland do not meet quality standards, with the highest failure rates relating to energy efficiency*.
Construction industry experts are calling on the Scottish Government to develop a long-term, joined-up retrofitting strategy to urgently tackle the
problem.

Members of the Scottish Parliament, experts in construction and housing, and school pupils gathered at Scottish Parliament on Thursday 18 May to explore ways to tackle the retrofit challenge now and into the future. There is widespread agreement that the first step to a building being energy efficient is that it needs to be weathertight and a coordinated approach to address disrepair to critical elements is required.

Around 30 people including Grand Designs presenter, Natasha Huq, joined the Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) Retrofit Roundtable in
Holyrood to discuss the need for a collaborative strategy to improve the energy efficiency of homes and buildings across the country.

Jocelyne Fleming, Policy and public affairs officer for CIOB in Scotland, said: “It was encouraging to have cross-party support from MSPs along
with representatives from the construction sector, at our roundtable to discuss the important role retrofitting will play in cutting energy bills and improving the quality and sustainability of the built environment. Action to improve the condition and energy efficiency of Scotland’s existing housing stock is urgently needed. Meeting Scotland’s necessarily ambitious housing and decarbonization targets will not be possible
without collaborative, proactive action from Government and industry.”

Retrofitting refers to measures such as adding insulation to lofts, cavity walls and floors, fitting double glazing, and fitting draught excluders to doors. The measures reduce heat loss from properties, therefore reducing energy consumption and in turn costs to residents. Less energy used also means a reduction in carbon emissions from homes which are powered or heated by fossil fuels.

Over two days, and aligning with the roundtable event, pupils from four schools took part in a retrofitting skills workshops outside Holyrood, led
by industry organizations and colleges, where they tried their hands at activities including, roof slating, thermal imaging and stonemasonry and working with sustainable materials.
The skills demonstrations build awareness of the wide range of careers in the construction sector to encourage young people to consider joining the industry. Similar events were delivered from Lochgilphead to Jedburgh in 2022, with more planned in the future.

The construction sector constantly struggles to recruit and retain enough skilled people to meet demand, and it is widely recognised that any
strategy on retrofitting will need to start with a coordinated approach to recruiting, training and retaining skilled workers to
carry out retrofitting measures.
Industry figures show 231,000 people in Scotland are currently employed in construction but an additional 3,910 more a year are needed to meet expected demand, including in retrofitting roles