Questions have been raised about why Glasgow City Council seems to be ignoring national rules to make sure all newly built homes include some social housing.

It comes as Glasgow has declared a housing emergency amid mounting pressure on homelessness services.

Elsewhere in Scotland social housing has been integrated among private developments.

This week nearly 400 homes were approved in Finnieston with not a single social housing property among them.

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Scottish Greens councillors are questioning why the council doesn’t seem to be following the National Planning Framework which states that all developments larger than four dwellings should include at least 25 per cent affordable housing.

Glasgow Scottish Greens  co leader Councillor Jon Molyneux said: “The position the council is taking on this is certainly not in the spirit of the national planning framework, which expects affordable housing to be integral to major developments.

“Had the council applied an affordable housing requirement to the redevelopment of Shawlands Arcade in my ward, for instance, that could have delivered around 150 affordable homes. When the city has declared a housing emergency, to not use these powers to deliver more affordable homes seems quite indefensible.”

Councillor Elaine Gallagher, Scottish Greens, challenged the council over “disregarding the specifics of the National Planning Framework” (NPF4) at a full council meeting last week.

Councillor Kenny McLean, convenor for housing said: “The council is applying the policy approach in the City Development Plan, and it does not conflict with the approach taken in NPF4″ which was adopted on February 13 last year.”

Councillor McLean added: “The Glasgow housing market is complex, with considerable variations in affordability and access in different areas, both in terms of the private sector and affordable sector markets.

“The NPF4 policy indicates that an affordable housing policy needs to be based on a consideration of need in a local authority area, and the target is to be informed by the local development plan.

“The policy intent of Policy 16 (part e) in National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) is to encourage those local authorities which do not currently make the provision of affordable housing a priority to start doing so.”

He continued: “Glasgow has continued to prioritise affordable housing and we out-performs every other authority in the country (at least by volume) with 47 per cent of all new-build housing constructed in the previous five-years being for either social or affordable homes.

“When the current City Development Plan was developed, the issue of housing need was considered and it determined that need for affordable housing was being met through existing mechanisms. These include working with Registered Social Landlords via the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, assisted by nominated disposal arrangements for accelerated land release.

“Taking this approach is consistent with NPF4 Policy 16 (e).”

Quoting details of the policy Mr McLean said: ‘”Development proposals for new homes will be supported where they make provision for affordable homes to meet an identified need.

“Proposals for market homes will only be supported where the contribution to the provision of affordable homes on a site will be at least 25 per cent of the total number of homes, unless the LDP sets out locations or circumstances where: i. a higher contribution is justified by evidence of need, or ii. a lower contribution is justified, for example, by evidence of impact on viability, where proposals are small in scale, or to incentivise particular types of homes that are needed to diversify the supply, such as self-build or wheelchair accessible homes.

“The contribution is to be provided in accordance with local policy or guidance.”’

He said a paper will be brought to a committee in the future outlining more details about the policy.