Staffin trust pulls out of Old Man of Storr project

STAFFIN Community Trust (SCT), which had submitted a bid to purchase local authorityowned land at one of the island’s busiest visitor sites, has withdrawn from the process.

SCT’s board of directors has now unanimously agreed that the short- and long-term interests of the development trust will be best served by withdrawing the Asset Transfer Requests (ATR) review and concluding any further discussions on a suggested partnership with Highland Council.

The community organisation lodged one of the first ATRs in the Highlands following the introduction of new Community Empowerment legislation a year ago seeking to purchase roadside ground at the Old Man of Storr.

SCT had intended to build a new car park and public toilets in response to the local community’s road safety and sanitation concerns.

After the ATR was declined by Highland Council, the site owner, in September 2017, SCT subsequently lodged a request for the decision to be formally reviewed.

The council separately proposed a partnership project, which may have involved working together on securing the necessary funding for improvements and agreeing a revenue sharing model. Several meetings between both parties were held but an agreement could not be reached.

SCT will instead focus on the delivery of its other major projects,which include an affordable business and medical development, along with efforts to deliver marine tourism and commercial infrastructure at Staffin slipway.

SCT chairman Sandy Ogilvie said: ‘It is with considerable regret that the Staffin Community Trust directors have come to this decision. A great deal of effort had gone into creating a dynamic and robust development at the Old Man of Storr.

‘Our plans and documentation for the SCT project, which we believed to be a project of significant merit, will be made available to Highland Council. We wish the council well in the coming months in providing the much-needed development of the site. I thank the council for working with SCT, and in particular, Stuart Black, the director of development and infrastructure.’

The ATR’s submission followed several years of work by SCT, including a major consultation in Staffin and options appraisal, and came in response to the local community’s increasing concerns at road safety and sanitation issues at the site, which has seen an unprecedented rise in visitors. A lack of parking space and absence of public toilets was highlighted by residents.

SCT said it will, where possible, back the council’s efforts to secure funding for suitable infrastructure at what is one of three key gateways to the Staffin community and a vital economic driver to local businesses and the island as a whole. SCT has pledged £10,000 worth of fully funded interpretation works at the Storr to the council.

The group has now also rescinded its expression of interest to the LEADER Programme in the hope it will allow the council to make its own application but will fully support any subsequent application to the new Rural Infrastructure Fund by the council.

SCT said it would like to thank the Scottish Land Fund, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the council for funding the Storr Options Appraisal, the Site and Business Plans and the Social Enterprise Plan, which were lodged with the ATR in March 2017.