Inflexible rules are stifling rural housing ambition

A handover ceremony at the new houses, Leana Ruadh, in Uig.

Island housing authorities have “a gun to our heads” over location of social housing within the Western Isles, according to Councillor Donald Crichton, chair of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s sustainable development committee.

A report to the committee on Tuesday said “a substantial amount of Scottish Government funding will be lost” unless used to build in and around Stornoway where projects can go ahead more quickly and cheaply.

It continued: “Additional development in Stornoway and Broadbay area would enable a greater and quicker drawdown of funding due to opportunities of building to scale along with the better availability of land”.

The Comhairle is nominally committed to a 55-45 split of new homes for the “rural” Western Isles to combat chronic housing shortages. However, this conflicts with “inflexible” Scottish Government criteria, councillors were told.

In practice, the majority of new housing has continued to be around Stornoway despite the policy. This is because an exception was made for the Goathill Farm development which “skewed the outurn figures” since 2017 with 69 per cent built in the Stornoway area.

Councillor Crichton said: “We are left with very little flexibility over how the money is spent. We have to pile the money into the Stornoway area and spend it as soon as possible, or else it will be lost. That is the gun that is being held to our heads”.

Mr Crichton pointed to five new houses in Uig, commissioned by Hebridean Housing Partnership, which were officially opened last week as evidence of demand in rural areas.

These were the first family sized homes for rent in Uig in almost half a century and were immediately occupied.

Councillor Crichton called for “a complete re-set” of housing policy. He said: “It operates in silos. If crofter housing was properly funded it would make a huge difference in rural areas”.

Councillor Crichton said they had “a small success” with the Scottish Government which had agreed that funding could be used to support the empty homes programme which is having some success in rescuing derelict properties throughout the islands.

On the main thrust of housing policy, however, the rules remain inflexible leaving the Comhairle and Hebridean Housing Partnership with stark choices.

This week’s report said: “There are a range of issues to be looked at in determining the future focus of the affordable housing programme, but the key consideration will be whether the Comhairle wishes to continue with the focus on supporting rural areas or wishes to maximise the draw down of funding by reopening opportunities in the Stornoway area. "