Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, the housing and homelessness charity, said: 'We support the decision to grant Pressured Area Status to areas of Stirling [1]. There's no doubt Right to Buy has been popular – but this has been at the expense of providing homes for Stirling families. With 2,298 households on the waiting list in Stirling, this suspension of Right to Buy will mean people have a better chance of getting a decent home in the future.

However, Pressured Area Status is just one of the few tools available to local authorities to limit the sale of homes. But the Scottish Government is due to publish proposals for far reaching reforms of Right to Buy after Easter and Shelter Scotland strongly supports measures to reform this out of date policy.'

He added: 'Ending Right to Buy in some areas will not provide a solution to the housing shortage in Stirling. With increasing pressure on affordable housing and the 2012 homelessness target to meet, Scotland desperately needs to keep and add to its stock of affordable rented housing.

This is why Shelter is calling on the Scottish Government and Stirling Council to support our call for a fiscal stimulus package through the upcoming UK budget. This would provide a vital injection of money to build more homes in Scotland, help house people and keep the construction industry afloat.'

Notes to editors

1. Read the Scottish Government press release 'Measures to help housing access in Stirling' here.