The Scottish Tories have tabled plans to allow farms to build up to five new homes on their land as part of a strategy to tackle a “national housing emergency”.

The proposals will be put forward by the Scottish Conservative housing spokesperson, Miles Briggs, at the party’s conference in Glasgow today.

Under the plans, the Tories would support a “permitted development right” to allow rural businesses such as farms to build homes on their property.

In a bid to tackle housing shortages in rural and remote parts of Scotland, farmers and owners of other businesses would be allowed to develop homes to try and attract more workers.

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The Conservative proposals would allow for the permitted development for between one and five houses per farm or business.

The Tories are also calling for a £1.5 million package to retrofit rural homes.

The proposal would also see the Conservatives setting up a new Scottish housing delivery agency and bring forward a rural homes just transition package.

The delivery agency would be solely tasked with delivering and building new homes. It would with alongside local authorities and developers to help identify where and what types of new homes are to be built.

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The Conservatives say the policies are required to boost the number of homes being built in Scotland.

The opposition party has highlighted that the number of open homeless applications are at the highest level since data collection started in 2002, totalling 28,944.

The Scottish Government failed to meet its 50,000 affordable homes target on time in the last parliament.

The target was set to be delivered in March 2021, but it was not met until one year later.

In its 2022-23 budget, the Scottish Government cut the housing budget by £166 million in cash terms.

The Scottish housing delivery agency will support permitted development rights for rural businesses, as well as be responsible for bringing forward a rural homes just transition package.

Mr Briggs said: “The SNP are presiding over a national housing emergency across Scotland.

“This crisis has hit rural areas the hardest, with farmers and remote businesses struggling to recruit workers because of the shortage of accommodation. The SNP has repeatedly failed to address this issue, and a new approach is urgently needed to help rural and island communities.

“The Scottish Conservatives would allow for the permitted development of one to five homes per farm or business to ease this housing shortage. We would also establish a dedicated agency to work with local authorities and developers to deliver the homes that Scotland so desperately needs.”

In order to combat high levels of fuel poverty in rural Scotland, the Tories have touted a just transition package which would offer home and business owners with enhanced grants and loans to cover additional insulation and running costs of retrofitting properties.

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The Lothians MSP has warned that housing is “far from the only challenge that rural Scotland is up against”.

He added: “Remote areas face the highest levels of fuel poverty, and some of the worst winter mortality rates in Europe.

“This is unacceptable, which is why the Scottish Conservatives would launch a rural homes insulation fund, sourced through a new specific ring-fenced budget from the onshore renewables sector.

“Remote and island homes are at the forefront of the transition to net zero emissions heating and must be supported so that they receive the maximum benefit from this.

“The Scottish Conservatives would establish a just transition fund specifically tailored for rural areas to ensure that this transition is fair.

“While the SNP and Greens ignore rural Scotland, we are committed to tackling this housing crisis there and delivering the homes the nation needs.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Good quality housing is essential to attract and retain people in our remote and rural communities and we have committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032 – with at least 10% in our remote, rural and island areas.

“£3.5 billion funding is being made available in this Parliamentary term towards the delivery of affordable homes which includes continued support of up to £30 million towards our rural and island housing fund for communities and organisations not able to access traditional affordable housing funding.

“Up to £25 million is also being made available from within the Affordable Housing Supply Programme from 2023-28 to help councils identify affordable homes for key workers in rural communities, details of which are being developed and will be included in the forthcoming rural and islands housing action plan.

“Our heat in buildings strategy sets a hugely ambitious vision to cut carbon and improve energy efficiency across Scotland’s homes over the coming years.

"There are a number of Scottish Government schemes which provide support to rural households. This includes the Home Energy Scotland grant and loan scheme, which offers applicants support to install energy efficiency measures and zero emissions heating.

"A rural uplift means rural households can claim up to £18,000 in grant funding compared to £15,000 in non-rural areas.

“We will consult on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill in the coming months, seeking views on our plans for regulation to accelerate green heating installation and higher energy efficiency standards in Scotland’s homes and buildings.”