Housing Deal Reached for Islands

I recently took part in a meeting between Comhairle representatives and Housing Minister, Alex Neil, at the Scottish Government’s headquarters in St Andrews House, Edinburgh.

The outcome of this was agreement over a funding package allowing over a hundred houses for rent to be built in the islands.

The Scottish Government has now agreed in principle to overcome some of the previous difficulties which Hebridean Housing had in funding the completion of housing projects which had been agreed as part of the original stock transfer process.

By Christmas this year we should see serious progress with over a hundred houses going up at various sites around the islands providing much needed places for families to live.

I was glad to hear confirmed recently that a further ballot of the community in Pairc will be held by Thursday 10^th December. This is to determine support for an application to Scottish Ministers to purchase most of the local estate on behalf of the community under Part 3 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

The land buyout process in Pairc has been long and far from simple. I am, however, pleased that the community will now have the final say on the way ahead.

While I appreciate some may wonder why a second ballot is necessary I believe that the Pairc Trust have done the right thing to ensure that they have community support for this next important step.