1. 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.

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

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

4. 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?

5. Redundant commercial and retail buildings

6. Can these provide homes and jobs?

8. FOUR WORKSHOPS
FIVE AFFORDABLE HOMES

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

12. 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

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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

17. 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

18. PROMOTING RURAL SUSTAINABILITY