A 3.2% fall in house prices in the past year in Dumfries and Galloway, has highlighted the economic challenges facing the region according the South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth
The fall in house prices across the region, shown in new data from the Office for National Statistics bucks the national trend which has seen house prices across Scotland rise by an average of 4.3% over the past year. Dumfries and Galloway experienced the second biggest fall in house prices across Scotland at 3.2%, with Aberdeen experiencing an 8.7% decrease over the year. These figures place Dumfries and Galloway as the third slowest growing areas in the UK for house prices.
Speaking about the data, South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said:
“These figures simply highlight the economic challenges across Dumfries and Galloway. While the data doesn’t focus on the reasons for the decrease in prices, I believe these figures are another indication of the impact that Scottish Government cuts are having on the region. The council and NHS are the two largest employers locally so there is a heavy reliance on them for job opportunities, more so than many other parts of Scotland. They are having to make big cuts. As a result in the last couple of years alone, Dumfries and Galloway Council have been forced to axe 800 positions. It is little wonder that demand and the price of housing in the region is falling when local job opportunities are being reduced. I hope these figures serve as a stark warning to the Scottish Government that their approach to funding services in the region needs to change to ensure we don’t continue to be a forgotten area.”
