Holyrood welcome for Skye affordable housing project
A motion highlighting the work of the Staffin Community Trust
– Urras an Taobh Sear – in delivering the affordable housing project on Skye has been submitted to the Scottish Parliament.
Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston lodged the motion on Friday February 25 and welcomed the completion of the project which has taken eight years to complete and includes a new health centre and business premises, as well as six new three-bedroom homes at Staffin.
Mr Halcro Johnston said: ‘I understand that this is the first affordable housing to be built in Staffin for more than 20 years so it is a very significant development, and a real tribute to the commitment and hard work of everyone involved.
‘Staffin, like other rural communities, has suffered from depopulation in recent years, so the fact that these new houses are attracting families, and are near to the local primary school thus helping to sustain it, is particularly welcome.
‘However, as others have suggested, we also need to be creative in looking at easier ways of increasing investment in our rural communities. ‘As convener of Holyrood’s new CrossParty Group on Islands, I want to make sure that sustaining our rural communities is at the top of the agenda.
‘And using examples like here in Staffin, we are able to analyse where improvements can be made to the system that can be applied across the Highlands and Islands.’
The Motion:
That the Parliament congratulates Staffin Community Trust (Urras an Taobh Sear) on what it sees as the successful completion of its affordable housing project, new health centre, and business premises; recognises what it considers as the incredible work of the trust over the past eight years to bring this project to fruition, including their successful crowdfunding campaign; acknowledges the work that the trust does towards ensuring that the Gaelic language and crofting culture remain at the heart of its community, and extends its best wishes for the trust’s continued success.