Hostility to new housing developments could be a major barrier to new Scottish Government targets to increase housing supply. That is the message from Shelter Scotland, as it launches a new toolkit on community engagement today (Tuesday).

The Scottish Government's Housing Supply Task Force recognises community engagement as essential to improve supply of housing and Shelter believes that practical lessons on how to do so need to be shared more widely.

The new pack - entitled But Why Here? - will be unveiled at a seminar being held today in Edinburgh.

The practical toolkit was designed to look at ways to engage with communities so that conflict can be avoided or addressed, when dealing with homeless, or other social accommodation.

But Shelter believe the lessons learnt - how to talk to the local community, dealing with the media, and ideas for troubleshooting - could be used when looking at all new housing developments and wants to see the pack being used by all sorts of developers.

Archie Stoddart, Director of Shelter Scotland said: 'Conflict over plans for new housing is widespread across Scotland and disquiet about new homelessness accommodation is simply the sharp end of that.

'But if we are going to move forward and provide homes that meet the needs of both future households and the aspirations of communities, we are going to have to get beyond the pitched battle that currently gets played out.

'It is no use developers accusing communities of 'NIMBYism' and communities slating developers for not listening. That gets us nowhere. This pack has been designed to build better relationships right at the start and to ensure that the accommodation which is really needed gets built in the best places possible.

The charity appointed community engagement specialists, Clear Plan UK, to produce the toolkit funded by Communities Scotland and developed within the framework of the agency's National Standards for Community Engagement.       

Notes to Editors

1. The pack is available in hard copy or in an online version: www.shelter.org.uk/butwhyhere
2. Shelter believes everyone should have a home and helps 170,000 people a year fight for their rights, get back on their feet, and find and keep a home. We also tackle the root causes of Britain's housing crisis by campaigning for new laws, policies and solutions. 
3. Spokespeople are available for interview, telephone the media office on 0844 515 2442 (connects to out of hours service).
4. For more information about Shelter visit www.shelter.org.uk