MSP Margaret Burgess Visits Projects In Dornoch & Helmsdale

On 21st of April 2015, MSP Margaret Burgess, the Scottish Governments Housing Minister visited projects we have been involved with in both Dornoch and Helmsdale.

Dornoch

In her visit to the town of Dornoch, a place where HSCHT has developed many new homes recently. In the past 12 months, we have completed 6 new homes in the area. The first two properties in Dornoch were built through our first phase of Rent To Buy properties, working with local contractor J & S Gunn. Both are now occupied, with 2 families now been given the opportunity to own their own home after renting the property for 5 years before purchasing at a reduced, below-market price.  This is made possible by the attachment of a Rural Housing Burden to the property.

Since 2013, the Scottish Government has issued over £7 million to our Rural Rent to Buy scheme, as we continue to develop affordable housing throughout the Highlands.

Rent To Buy Phase 1

Right next door to these properties are two new homes developed for the Highland Council through the Greener Homes Initiative. These properties have recently been completed very recently this year and have already been allocated to residents who have now moved into the properties. The Minister got the chance to not only meet these residents, but also view the inside of the homes.

Rent to Buy and Greener Homes projects are being developed across the Highlands thanks to an innovative partnership between Scottish Government, Highland Council and HSCHT.  The various schemes that have been developed through funding from the Scottish Government, have not only provided the Dornoch with new varying types of affordable housing solutions, but has also allowed for new members of the community to get on the housing ladder.

Frankie Gunn & Geordie Gunn (J & S Gunn), Tom Mahoney (Tenant), Maragaret Burgess (Housing Minister), Yvonne Ross (Chair of Dornoch Community Council), Rob Gibson (MSP), Alison Macleod (HSCHT)

Highland Council Greener Home

Margaret Burgess then went on to visit our brand new homes built by Pat Munro Homes through the Rent To Buy Scheme. Completed at the very end of last year, the two semi-detached properties are now home to very happy residents who are now on their way to owning their own home. Located in the new Deans Park development in Dornoch, one of our Tenants, was happy to greet the Minister and welcome her into her home.

HSCHT Rent To Buy Phase 2 Home

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Helsmdale

The Minister then travelled north to visit the community of Helmsdale to view their community owned housing project. Helmsdale & District Development Trust (HDDT) is spearheading a new community led housing development having built four new homes in the Highland village of Helmsdale, backed by £110,000 of Scottish Government investment. During her visit to Helmsdale, the Housing Minister Margaret Burgess met with new tenants of these properties, the local development trust and many children from the local primary school.

This innovative project is being driven by the community in order to provide community owned housing to ensure the future sustainability of the area. All statutory housing provision in the last 30 years has been provided in neighbouring villages, which has been detrimental and has led to out-migration from the community. Helmsdale went 35 years without any new affordable housing being made available for rent, and held a desire to solve this, as well as the aging demographic of the village.

HSCHT helped with this project in a number of ways. This included community engagement and facilitation, a local survey, initial project feasibility ans desktop funding options, negotiations with landowners and the local authority and the initial fundraising – a key challenge for the community in order to obtain the vision for this new project.

By partnering the Local Authority, local RSL along with guidance from HSCHT, Helmsdale community were able to deliver a feasible and practical solution to meet their longer term housing needs – four brand new rented homes to be managed by Albyn Housing Association using policies agreed with the Highland Council.

Helmsdale is part of the Growth at the Edge initiative by Highlands and Islands Enterprise. A local development officer consulted with the community through a series of open days and has produced a document “Shaping our future together”. In this housing features as a high priority for local people. Creating new community housing here will help make the community more sustainable:

Economic benefits:

• Provide construction work (local workforce preferred)
• Possibility of combining training in construction opportunities along the lines of the Cairngorm Construction Skills Project (managed by HSCHT)
• Sustain key workers i.e. carers, heath workers, teachers, estate workers
• Provide low cost home opportunities for young families who can spend in the local economy – shops/hotels/post office etc.
• Build on tourism and other growth sectors i.e. renewables
• Unemployment in the area is consistent – with no unfilled vacancies in the area (Nov 09) while 27 people in Helmsdale alone were receiving Job Seekers Allowance (in 2008).
• 12% of the households earn less than £10,000 annually. Highland average of 10% (CACI 2007)

 Social benefits:

• Improve the demographics of the community (currently over 50% of the population is over 50 years old)
• There is a marked absence of people in the 16-29 age group – new housing would help retain some of this age group
• From 2001 to 2008 the population has declined by 7.4% whereas the population for Highland has increased by 5%. New housing would help reverse this trend.
• As with the aging population the dependency on the health service increased – Helmsdale has the second highest rate of self-reported illness in Highland with 22% having a limiting long-term illness. There is a great need to retain younger people to prevent the decline of this community.

The local development group and community association gain skills and expertise from being involved in the delivery of this project to use on other projects i.e. partnership working, contact with the LA, grant applications, researching community need, consultation, financial planning etc.

There are a range of other benefits this project created including:

Community/Social

• Allows for a more mixed tenure community by providing an option between rented and full market housing.
• Redresses the outward migration of young families
• Creates sustainable communities
• Provides training and work opportunities for local unemployed
• Increases skills and income opportunities
• Reduces anti-social behaviour
• Retains the option of informal care. Young looking after old at no cost to state
• Healthier community by reducing those in BTS housing

Environment

• Local materials used as much as practicable
• Local labour used as much as possible to reduce transport pollution
• All timber felled on site will be used on site (fencing, wood stores and play equipment etc.) which will prevent extraction and importing of timber.
• A footpath and cycle link with the main village will reduce car use
• Efficient wood burning stoves are carbon neutral
• Solar panels assist with hot water provision in summer
• Growing own produce on site helps the environment

Economic

• Local labour used where possible
• Local materials through local suppliers
• Training project will help increase income opportunities
• Training project will help increase household incomes and reduce rent arrears
• Options for working from home will promote entrepreneurial development
• Self-sufficiency will increase disposable incomes
• Reduced fuel poverty will increase disposable incomes

Wider benefits

• Design guides can be produced for sustainable and affordable houses
• Best practice for developing on difficult sites will be developed
• The heating solutions used will be a helpful addition to options in affordable housing
• This will provide an alternative option for sustainable site and community development in rural areas

The day was a great success, and was seemingly enjoyed by all. Not only did Margaret Burgess perform the official opening ceremony of the Helmsdale & District Community Owned Housing Project, acknowledging the great success and work of the community, but it also allowed HSCHT to showcase the work we do throughout the Highlands.

If you would like any more information on these or any other projects we have worked on, please get in touch at [email protected].
Alternatively, should you be interested in how we can help you or your community, call us on 01463 233549.