A PLAN to build 25,000 homes in Glasgow over the next decade has been welcomed by Scots housing developers.

The city council has unveiled a strategy to provide enough houses in Glasgow by 2025 to meet the growing demand.

It includes releasing land for development, bringing empty homes back into use and offering house hunters who can't afford a deposit a 100% mortgage.

Industry body Homes for Scotland, whose members deliver 95% of new homes for sale as well as a significant amount of affordable housing, welcomed the plan.

Chief executive Philip Hogg, said: “There is a chronic undersupply of housing right across Scotland which particularly affects our young people and growing families.

“With our member companies looking forward to helping Glasgow achieve its ambitious goal of ensuring 25,000 homes by 2025, we applaud the vision the council is demonstrating and hope other local authorities follow its lead to ensure we have enough homes to meet the diverse housing needs of our growing population.”

Prior to the housing boom of the early to mid 2000s, around 1500 private houses were built in Glasgow every year.

Following the financial crisis of 2008/09, house building activity has not returned to these levels with 1179 private houses currently under construction in the city.

Gary Climson, managing director of McTaggart Construction, said: "With confidence in the sector growing and an accelerating demand for affordable housing in Glasgow, this announcement will provide a valuable boost to supply.

"We firmly believe this commitment by Glasgow City Council will further support the delivery of public sector housing in the city, enabling us to continue our ambition to create quality homes and communities throughout Scotland."

Bill Robertson, chairman of construction company the Robertson Group, also welcomed the city council announcement describing it as an important milestone in the city's regeneration plans.

Gordon Sloan, chairman of Glasgow Housing Association which is part of the Wheatley Group, said: "One of our priorities is to help increase the number of affordable homes for people in communities across Glasgow.

"We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government to bring forward plans for 1700 more homes in the city."

The SNP group on the city council gave a mixed reaction to the housing plan.

Dputy Leader David McDonald said: “While much of this strategy is to be welcomed, we must remember that - following a period of contraction - the housing and construction sector is now recovering. The public sector can assist with that recovery and Glasgow City Council’s role is to be welcomed.

“However, with strong and growing demand for housing in the city and a recovering construction industry, it seems the council is lacking in ambition by looking at only 2,500 new homes each year to 2025. How many of these homes would have been built anyway?

“On many of the points made in the announcement, how many of these could have been delivered during the decades of Labour rule? How many of the planned houses will be paid for by Scottish Government support? How much will be rolled out by the private sector, regardless of what the Council strategy says?

“Labour aren’t even on message with their own Strategic Housing Investment Plan. It says that Glasgow needs 1,400 new affordable homes each and every year, and that population projections show the city gaining 3,500 new households annually. How can these figures be accommodated within the ten year targets announced by Gordon Matheson.

“The SNP are working on our plans for 2017 and these include looking at a far more ambitious housing strategy for Glasgow – we will engage directly with people who already live in Glasgow and with those who may wish to move or return to the city, to gauge their views on what the Council can and should do to support house builders and providers of all kinds.

“We will listen to builders, registered social landlords, universities and colleges as well as to communities and residents groups to learn about what the people want to happen in their city.

“Gordon Matheson would do well to get his own political house in order, before trying to solve Glasgow’s housing challenges. Labour’s first time buyer support pilot, for example, is in chaos and in no way matches the needs or ambitions of Glaswegians.”