Gordon Harrison Director @gordyharrison #SRA2017 A powerful voice for the people of rural Scotland Empty Homes Scheme Should it have more teeth? Gordon Harrison Director @gordyharrison #SRA2017 Presenting a perspective on rural education from rural communities themselves – importance, challenges, solutions & our Manifesto.

There are not enough affordable rural homes Why? Too many holiday homes Prices too high Wages too low No houses means no workforce

RURAL DECLINE No workforce leads to : Lack of families with children School closures Increase in isolation No economic sustainability RURAL DECLINE

What’s the alternative? Affordable rural housing will help reverse the decline in our rural communities But building plots & new builds are expensive What’s the alternative?

Redundant commercial and retail buildings

Can these provide homes and jobs?

FOUR WORKSHOPS FIVE AFFORDABLE HOMES

These are all commercial buildings They are not covered by the empty homes scheme Should they be?

NO COMPULSORY PURCHASE What are the pitfalls? Seed funding or grant to test feasibility Further funding for architects and lawyers Planning consent Site clearance and building cost NO COMPULSORY PURCHASE

What is compulsory purchase? The officially enforced purchase of privately owned land or property for public use. Any public body that wants a CPO has to prove that it’s for the “greater public good” and not for private gain.

What are the pitfalls of a CPO? 3 year time limit using a General Vesting Declaration - can be extended to 6 years by a Notice to Treat Compensation can include the value of the property, costs of acquiring and moving to a new property etc. It’s not a simple process

What are the advantages of CPO? Substandard properties are taken from owners unwilling or unable to improve them to sell to folks willing and able to do so. This has a marked impact on local environment and the quality of life for neighbouring residents. Affordable rural housing will help reverse the decline in our rural communities.

There is a joint briefing from: Shelter Scotland Scotland’s Town Partnership Rural Housing Scotland Scottish Empty Homes Partnership Community Land Scotland to amend the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill to give local Authority OR a community body the power to use a compulsory sale order. A compulsory sale order for empty buildings is in line with the spirit of the land Reform process

SHOULD COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDERS BE AVAILABLE FOR THE EMPTY HOMES SCHEME? SHOULD WE PRESS FOR THE EMPTY HOMES SCHEME TO BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL PROPERTIES? Pros Cons Recommendation

PROMOTING RURAL SUSTAINABILITY