New bid to buy land at Old Man of Storr
A NORTH Skye community organisation has formally submitted a bid to purchase council- owned land at the Old Man of Storr.
The Staffin Community Trust (SCT) has lodged an Asset Transfer Request ( ATR) to the Highland Council for a section of roadside ground near the popular island landmark so it can construct a new car park, public toilets and interpretation boards.
The bid to purchase the land comes through new community empowerment legislation.
The plans will create employment and are said to bring a direct economic benefit to the north- east Skye community, as well as the wider island.
A fee for using the car park would be charged, a proposal which SCT says was supported by residents in the community consultation.
The land in question has been valued at £1,000.
If the ATR is granted, SCT will seek funding from a variety of sources to deliver the proposed capital works, which are currently estimated at up to £900,000.
The community has significant concerns about parking congestion and road safety at the busy site, which is off the A855 Portree- Staffin road, and the lack of toilets, which has sparked public health complaints.
Concerns have been further exacerbated because of increasing visitor numbers to the Storr with an estimated 150,000 people in 2016 - an increase of 60,000 people from 2014’s total.
It comes after several years of talks between SCT and the council, a major community consultation and the conclusion of a site options appraisal/ business plan by a consultant team.
The ATR is understood to have been one of the first submitted in the Highlands following the introduction of new community empowerment legislation in January by the Scottish Government.
The council has acknowledged the ATR and will respond within six months. The local authority has set aside £400,000 of development funding for car park improvements at the site.
SCT chairman Sandy Ogilvie said: ‘This an exciting and important step forward by the trust and comes after a lot of work in the past few years. The Storr is a world-renowned landmark but also a key gateway to our community. Ownership could secure a range of benefits for local people and businesses while enhancing the visitor experience.’
SCT said Staffin residents had strongly backed its managing or purchasing the site. More than 85 per cent of the respondents to the January 2016 consultation supported the SCT’s direct involvement at the Storr.