'Game changing' Assynt housing plan set to move forward after £114k boost
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A PLANNED community housing development scheme, said to be be a "game changer" for north-west Sutherland, has received a significant boost.
Assynt Development Trust (ADT) has been awarded £114,000 to progress the project to develop affordable homes and community facilities at Lochinver, land for which has already been purchased.
ADT chairman Nigel Goldie said: "The board is excited to now be taking forward this significant development. We believe this will be a game changer for housing development in Assynt and will create wider opportunities, bringing economic and social benefits."
The latest investment has come from the Highland Council's Community Regeneration Fund (£44,000); Crown Estate Scotland (£50,000); Highland Council (£10,000) and the Scottish Government's Rural and Islands Housing Fund (£10,000),
It will allow ADT to undertake a comprehensive feasibility study and a design team to develop plans for affordable housing and wider uses on the site.
Around 27 per cent of the existing housing stock in Assynt is given over to holiday accommodation or second homes, according to the 2011 census.
A housing needs assessment undertaken by the Communities Housing Trust on behalf of ADT in 2019 showed strong demand for affordable housing for all ages, and also particularly from businesses requiring accommodation for staff.
The vast majority of the 165 survey respondents believed that people living or working locally should be given priority for housing.
A 55-acre area of ground on former glebe land between Lochinver and Glencanisp was purchased by the community from the Church of Scotland in 2021 with funding from the Scottish Land Fund.
The Communities Housing Trust supported the land acquisition and will act as development agent for the project.
Mr Goldie said: "We have the land on which to do much more than housing and we will be looking for opportunities to bring the benefits of community ownership to the wider community."
Award-winning architects Oberlanders have been appointed to take forward the plans and undertake design work and a feasiblity study.
A spokesman for the firm said: "The Glebe and Glencanisp sites include complex ecological environments of national importance, within which we are progressing appropriate and sensitive proposals with an experienced team of designers."
A steering group comprising representatives of local organisations is also working to map out the full potential of the site - members include the Assynt Foundation, Assynt Community Council, Lochinver Primary School, the Church of Scotland, Coigach and Assynt Living Landscape, Ullapool High School and the Woodland Croft Partnership.
The scheme includes around 10 affordable homes in the first phase. Wider site uses may include a path network, enterprise work units, woodland crofts and education and training facilities. A longer-term proposal for further affordable housing is being considered.
Ronnie MacRae, chief executive of the Communities Housing Trust, said: “We are extremely pleased to see this crucial project gather momentum. This community-led development will be a flagship for the Lochinver area, meeting a range of needs and also acting as a model for other rural or island communities across Scotland. Being responsive to needs and tailoring in this way is absolutely crucial to ensuring ongoing economic and social sustainability of our rural places.”
A community drop-in event is planned for Tuesday, April 25, at Lochinver Village Hall from 3pm-7pm to meet the architects and view and discuss the initial plans.
