Author: K Glover

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Derek Logie retires after long housing career, with Donna Young appointed RHS Co-ordinator

This week, we are sad to be bidding farewell to two members of the Rural Housing Scotland team, with Derek Logie retiring after leading the organisation for more than 20 years and Kirsten Glover leaving to pursue new ventures.

Rural Housing Scotland (RHS) was launched in February 2001, with the objective of improving the supply of housing, particularly affordable housing in rural Scotland, and of engaging and equipping communities to secure this. Since then, it has been led by our Chief Executive, Derek Logie, pictured here with RHS board member Annie McKee and housing minister Shona Robison MSP at the 2023 annual RHS conference in Birnam.

Over the years, Derek has worked with countless communities to support them in addressing their housing need through community-led action. His innovative ideas, passion for rural development, and dedication to a future with better, more affordable rural housing supply has had a significant impact throughout his career. He has made a remarkable contribution to the campaign for better rural investment and has been at the forefront of the evolution of community-led housing, offering practical, direct support to communities navigating housing projects, as well as contributing to policy development and helping to ensure rural voices are heard.

The RHS Board would like to thank Derek for his leadership, vision and energy. He leaves behind an organisation held in high regard, which fills a gap between the providers of affordable homes and the communities which need them.

We also say goodbye to Kirsten Glover, who joined the RHS team as a recent graduate back in 2021 and is leaving to pursue new projects and travels. We thank her for her work and wish her the best of luck with her future endeavours in Applecross & beyond.

With Derek moving on, the RHS Board has been reconsidering their role, and looking to a new future. We are delighted that Donna Young, who has worked with Rural Housing Scotland for the past year as our Smart Clachan Development Officer, will be taking on the role of Co-ordinator. Donna has considerable experience in fundraising and partnership-building and has done fantastic work since she joined RHS. She will continue to work on her existing projects, whilst assisting the board in shaping the future of RHS and meeting the strategic priorities of the organisation, which include building our membership base and key partnerships. 

We look forward to continuing to work towards our vision: a home for all in flourishing communities in rural Scotland.

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News

Ireland – Rural Digital Hubs Learning Exchange Trip

Earlier this month, a delegation assembled by Rural Housing Scotland (RHS) headed to County Clare in Ireland for a two day study trip to learn about the Irish approach to digital rural development. The trip came after the Irish Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, put her Department in contact with the organisation. Over the last year, RHS has maintained contact with the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD), to establish a positive knowledge-sharing relationship, which saw representatives from the DRCD attend the annual RHS conference in February to speak about the Irish National Hub Network.

The Irish Government has put substantial investment into the development of a digital hub network which has helped boost the rural economy and population by making remote working more accessible in rural regions. We were eager to learn more about the logistics of establishing hubs like these in rural and island locations, as Smart Clachan, a housing model devised by RHS to promote rural repopulation, incorporates homes with shared facilities such as digital workspaces.

The trip saw the delegation, which included representatives from the Scottish Government Islands Team, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and two island communities, alongside RHS staff, visit several hubs and meet many of those behind their successful roll out.

‘Hub’ has become a buzzword of sorts since Covid hit, and whilst the concept is relatively simple, the creation of this network of well-equipped modern hubs, in remote places with no broadband connection, brought together through one easy-to-use booking and payment system, is impressive. These repurposed buildings are spaces that resemble the contemporary workplace without workers being bound by the constraints of traditional office culture. They provide excellent and affordable facilities, with high-speed wi-fi, digital tools to facilitate needs such as video conferencing, dynamic meeting rooms, vibrant co-working spaces and private offices, as well as kitchen facilities. Some of the hubs had a metropolitan atmosphere, despite being located in towns of less than 1,000 people.

The hubs, which benefit community members and visitors alike, have helped put Clare at the forefront of rural regeneration. Digitalisation through the development of hubs and Broadband Connection Points (public spaces with a high-speed internet connection, to provide a temporary solution to broadband black spots until communities are provided with full connectivity) has brought new life to rural communities, by offering remote workers facilities that rival those found in urban areas.

On the first day, the itinerary, organised by the DRCD, involved informative presentations from County Clare Council on their rural development strategy and regional hub network ‘DigiClare’, followed by hub visits.

On the second day, the delegation was warmly welcomed to Udaras na Gaeltachta HQ, where Rónán Mac Con Iomaire, Director Regional Development, Community & Language Planning and Mícheál Ó Duibhir, gave a thorough overview of their holistic approach to the preservation of the Irish language. Their projects include the creation of Gteic, a hub network across the Gaeltacht, to encourage innovation and remote working.

The group then visited Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands, to give a presentation on our Smart Clachan project and to learn about the impressive work of their community development company as well as the housing challenges they are up against. This visit in particular highlighted many parallels between the issues our island communities in Scotland are facing.

On the ferry to Inis Mór
Gteic hub on Inis Mór

The trip demonstrated the Irish Government’s practical support for the sustainability of rural and island communities through significant investment and recognition of the importance of the rural economy. The benefits of rural investment should not be understated, and yet, in Scotland, a country where 98% of the land is classed as rural, it often seems to be.

There is huge value in inter-country learning opportunities and we hope that the positive connections we have made through this experience will have a lasting impact. At RHS, we feel inspired to take what we have learned into further developing the Smart Clachan model to play an exciting role in the digital future of our rural and island communities. Many thanks to everyone who made it possible, particularly the Irish organisations involved who were fantastic hosts, and Scottish Community Alliance who helped make the trip possible. We hope a return visit to Scotland will be possible in the near future!

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Guest blog News

Meet The Board – Norma Robson

We have a fantastic and dedicated Board of Directors – learn more about them in this new blog series!

Prior to her retirement last year, Norma was a Team Leader in Planning and Policy for Housing and Communities in Perth and Kinross Council. Over the past thirty years, she has worked mainly in strategic planning in housing. Her main areas of work focussed on the Local Housing Strategy, the Strategic Housing Investment Plan and the implementation of the Affordable Housing Policy throughout Perth & Kinross. In this blog, she shares an insight into how councils develop a Local Housing Strategy and the challenges of this in a rural setting.

Community led development is ‘the key’ to successful housing strategies 

Before my retirement last year, I worked in Housing Services for Perth and Kinross Council for over 36 years. After graduating from St. Andrews University with a degree in Geography, I started work as a Housing Assistant/Graduate Trainee attending Glasgow University, on a part-time basis, to secure a post-graduate diploma in Housing. During my time studying in St Andrews, I developed an interest in the more ‘human’ side of Geography, which led me to seek out a career in something that could make a difference in people’s lives. What could be more central to everyone than housing?

Over my 30 years of working in housing strategy, the approach to quantifying housing needs and planning how housing need in an area would be addressed became increasingly sophisticated – but has this translated into more effective Local Housing Strategies?

The starting point for developing a Local Housing Strategy (LHS) is the guidance issued to Local Authorities by the Scottish Government. This very comprehensive guidance reflects the central role housing plays across a wide range of issues from health to the environment. It is therefore crucial to focus on the issues most pertinent to the local area to ‘customise’ the Local Housing Strategy and make sure that local housing priorities are addressed. As part of this process, the housing need in the area is assessed – the number of houses needed, the tenure and type of housing, as well as where housing should be developed.

Government guidance on assessing housing need, based upon household projections, provides  consistency of approach, but falls short on delivering all of the information needed. There is a need to supplement this with additional research to identify the need for different types of housing, as well as more detailed information on the housing needs in individual communities. 

Developing a housing strategy in rural areas is particularly challenging. Information to inform the assessment of housing need is not usually available at the level of individual communities and often, lack of housing can mean that those requiring housing are not living in the area.

In many instances, in rural areas, employers have difficulty attracting new employees and essential education, health and social care services struggle due to lack of staff. This issue is brought more sharply into focus in lower paid work when it isn’t viable (or even possible) for an employee to travel a distance to work. This reinforces the requirement for fine detail in our assessment of housing need – in particular, affordable housing provision should be ‘finely tuned’ with the needs of rural communities.

A community-led approach involving key people such as local GPs, teachers and employers, as well as residents, is undoubtedly the best way to gain a detailed understanding of a community’s housing need, as well as to identify opportunities for more housing. Being involved in the process helps acceptance of new developments and of the households who will move into them.   

Organisations such as Rural Housing Scotland and Communities Housing Trust do invaluable work with communities to make sure that the housing needs of rural areas are identified and addressed as part of Local Housing Strategies. Community-led development that brings people together, is central to taking forward the placemaking agenda, developing effective Local Housing Strategies and creating communities and places that work for everyone.

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Guest blog News

Meet The Board – Alastair Cameron

We have a fantastic and dedicated Board of Directors – learn more about them in this new blog series!

Alastair is the former Chief Executive of Scottish Churches Housing Action, which mobilises the churches in working towards a Scotland free of homelessness. He has been a board member of Rural Housing Scotland from its inception in 2001 and was previously a member of the Rural Forum Housing Service Committee. His background is in community development and homelessness activism, working in the past for Rochdale Council in Lancashire and Edinburgh Council for the Single Homeless. He sees community engagement as crucial in tackling Scotland’s problems of homelessness and inadequate housing.

I grew up in rural Stirlingshire, just north of Glasgow; I’ve lived in towns and cities ever since, but going to a primary school with fewer than 30 on the roll leaves its mark. My dad’s job took the family to Kenya when I was 14; I returned to the UK to study law at Canterbury, lived in Germany for a couple of years, and then stumbled my way into community development work in my mid-20s. I don’t think anyone grows up with an ambition to be a neighbourhood worker, but that was my first career step. In the meantime, I had worked in industrial relations for an asbestos manufacturer.

I got involved in homelessness as a community worker in Rochdale, Lancashire. The estate I covered was described by the council as ‘hard to let’. That was because it was a bit of a slum and very unpopular, so the people who moved there were those with least choice. Many of them were young single people with difficult family backgrounds. Some of them settled in OK, but many didn’t. I remember one lad who moved into his flat with nothing. Neighbours sorted him out with some bedding and pots and pans and things, but one day when I visited, he wasn’t there. It turned out he had stuck the keys through the letterbox and moved on; we never saw him again.

So that got me thinking about the importance of community and belonging and how we needed to offer more than just a roof over someone’s head.

I moved back to Scotland in 1985, when our first child was a year old, to work in homelessness in Edinburgh. Much of what I saw was very different from the estate in Rochdale – older people in the city centre with issues with alcohol and mental illness. But the underlying issues of no home, no roots, no strong community remained.

Rural homelessness is different again: much more likely to be hidden, just a part of life that adults live with their parents or in temporary arrangements – whatever’s available. Very often people don’t see that as homelessness, it’s just ‘the way things are’: and they’d never dream of going on the council homelessness list. And of course a lot of rural homelessness gets displaced – people go to the towns and cities because there are at least some services there.

I got involved in Rural Housing Scotland because by the mid-90s I worked for a churches’ housing organisation, and of course the churches have a presence in rural areas that many other national institutions no longer have. Derek and I worked together with a few others to set up an independent charity that would highlight the scandal of affordable housing shortage in rural Scotland, and help communities to tackle it. Raymond Young, our founding convener, was a great activist: he had worked at a high level with Scottish Homes, which then became Communities Scotland, and had vast knowledge and great contacts.

The shame is that the issues we’re facing today are so similar to those 22 years ago when RHS was launched: lack of affordable housing supply; insufficient support to communities; complicated planning and funding arrangements; cost yardsticks that just don’t recognise the extra costs of building small-scale in rural areas. We haven’t done enough to support innovative solutions based on locally-sourced materials, off-site construction, and local labour.

Having said that, we have seen great examples of the difference community ownership and engagement can make – on Gigha, Iona, Ulva Ferry and many other places. The effort put in by local people to make these things happen is an inspiration, and we see how a few new homes can make a huge difference to the community as a whole, helping with jobs, keeping schools open, keeping younger people and their families in the neighbourhood.

There is no one solution to the varied needs; we need different golf clubs in our trolley. Smart Clachan is a great approach, building community and shared resources into the housing development. We need to tie together the different strands that housing touches: community cohesion, employment, transport, infrastructure such as broadband and sewerage, the climate emergency. We need to recognise that living in remote and island communities isn’t an aberration: it’s a way of life that should not have to constantly justify itself to city-based decision-makers. We see more young people wanting to return to the place they grew up after going away for work or study. They need good homes, in a living community.

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Guest blog News

Meet The Board – David Stewart

We have a fantastic and dedicated Board of Directors – learn more about them in this new blog series!

David joined the Scottish Land Commission in April 2019 and his remit includes work on land assembly, placemaking, land value capture and affordable rural housing. He joined the commission from the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations where he led on the delivery of new build affordable housing, planning reform, energy efficiency and regeneration. He has been involved in the delivery of new build affordable housing and housing led regeneration in Edinburgh and Glasgow. He was previously on the board of PAS, the planning and place charity, and a community based housing association in Greenock.

Could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

I’ve always worked in housing and placemaking. I strongly believe that a quality affordable home is the basis for so much in life – after my mum and dad divorced, my mum moved to a tenement flat that was then refurbished by a housing association in Greenock. Having that warm affordable home makes such a difference to someone’s life chances. In my early 20’s  I completed a post graduate diploma in housing at Heriot Watt and since then I’ve always worked in housing – first developing affordable homes for housing associations in Glasgow and Edinburgh, then working on regenerating the Craigmillar estate in Edinburgh.

Could you explain a bit about the work you do for the Scottish Land Commission?

It’s looking at the role of land in delivering housing and new places. At the moment we aren’t building enough new homes and housing is unaffordable for many. Land reform can play a role in delivering more homes and better places by helping to reform the housing land market so that it functions more in the public interest. Our work applies to both rural and urban Scotland.

What are the main issues with land in Scotland that prevent the development of housing and other infrastructure that rural communities need to thrive?

A big issue in rural Scotland is market failure.  The large private house builders who build most of the new homes in Scotland don’t build in much of rural Scotland as they can’t make the profits that they require to pay dividends to shareholders and cover the risk of bringing sites forward. Since the 2007 crash, many of the smaller local firms who had developed housing for sale in rural areas have gone out of business. This means that most new housing to be built in rural Scotland must be supplied by local authorities, housing associations or communities. Developing housing is time consuming and complex, so it’s a major challenge for local communities (but one that many have responded to).   

How has land reform changed the outlook for housing development in rural Scotland?

Community ownership and community buyouts have had a huge impact.  In places like the Isle of Eigg where there have been community buyouts, this has led to new affordable homes and a growth in population. In North Harris, community ownership has enabled the development of quality affordable housing, the provision of business space and the creation of jobs. This model can also play an important role in urban areas where there is market failure such as in town centres, building on the success of community led housing in rural Scotland – it is great to see the work being undertaken in Midsteeple in Dumfries, hopefully it’s something that we can learn from and replicate across Scotland’s towns.

How has your background in housing shaped the perspective with which you view land issues? 

I think that I have an awareness of the role of land in creating homes and places that people want to live.  When I worked for housing associations early on in my career, buying land was always a challenge.  In Craigmillar I saw the benefit that the public sector and community having more control of the land and a greater say in the type of development and the quality of place that is created can have. I firmly believe that we need to make this type of public sector led development the standard rather than the exception if we are to deliver the homes and places Scotland needs, and this applies to both rural and urban Scotland.    

What more can the government do to ensure that land can be made available to rural communities to facilitate housing developments?

The work of the Scottish Land Commission has found that to deliver affordable homes and better places, the public sector needs to take more of a role in land and development, reducing risk for developers and shaping the quality of new communities.  Where this happens we create better places and can deliver more homes – the Commonwealth Games Village in Glasgow and West Granton in Edinburgh demonstrate this.

The same principles can apply in rural Scotland – if support is provided to communities to help bring forward land for development and reduce risk, then more affordable homes would be delivered to sustain communities and repopulate rural Scotland.  At the moment, as I said above, it is often left to communities to manage this risk and complexity.  While there have been some great developments, and the support of the Rural Housing Fund and the Scottish Land Fund has really helped, I think we need to do more to provide expertise to support communities.

In communities where landowners want to play a role in the development of their community, how can we ensure they are well supported to deliver necessary housing?

Enabling bodies do a great job in supporting communities and landowners to help deliver affordable housing.  Rural Housing Scotland, the Communities Housing Trust and South of Scotland Housing Trust can all provide expertise and advice on assessing housing need, accessing funding and developing plans.  There may also be a local housing association who can help to deliver the housing, reducing risk for the landowner and the community.  I’d suggest getting in touch with one of the 3 enabling bodies, who have a great track record in supporting rural landowners and communities, and taking it from there.     

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News

Rural Housing Scotland annual conference – book now!

Our annual conference, which was moved online for the past two years due to Covid, will take place in-person at Birnam Arts Centre on the 24th of February 2023. There are two ticket types: day or residential. A residential ticket includes dinner, bed & breakfast at the Dunkeld House Hotel for delegates wishing to stay on the evening of Thursday 23rd February. Please note that residential tickets are limited. We still have a small number available but please book now to avoid disappointment!

The programme will consider a range of rural issues, ideas and initiatives, including Rural Housing Scotland pilot schemes such as Smart Clachan, with presentations about Tomduie Clachan at Comrie Croft and Smart Clachan in South Uist. The programme will also cover Ireland’s approach to rural development; securing a Just Transition for rural communities; how rural communities can benefit from the energy generated in their area and how rewilding and repeopling can go hand in hand. Shona Robison MSP (Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government) and Jake Ryan (Department of Rural and Community Development, Irish Government) will be amongst speakers for the event.

Derek Logie, CEO of Rural Housing Scotland said: “We are delighted to hold our conference in-person once again and are looking forward to welcoming delegates back to Birnam Arts Centre. Whilst rural housing need is at the absolute heart of our programme, we recognise that a holistic approach maximises benefit and sustainability, and with that in mind we will also consider issues relating to other community services and wider infrastructure.”

The event is sponsored by Ecology Building Society, which provides mortgages for projects that respect the environment and support sustainable communities, including community-led housing developments, and Highlands Rewilding, which puts people and communities at the heart of rewilding.

Highlands Rewilding explained why they are supporting the event this year: “At Highlands Rewilding, we continue to hope we can contribute meaningfully to zero-carbon, nature-positive rural housing deployment. But we are finding it difficult, like so many others. If Scotland is to meet aspirations of rural repopulation in liveable homes, all relevant stakeholders have to figure out how we break the logjam in the times ahead, and execute a grand plan. I know this conference, and indeed everything Rural Housing Scotland does, is aimed at that. We are happy both to support and partake in this effort. Our communities, economy and ecosystems desperately need it to succeed”.

Ecology Building Society added: “We are delighted to once again support this year’s Rural Housing Conference. As a mortgage lender committed to building a greener and fairer society, we are especially pleased to have helped fund a number of projects in rural Scotland over the last year. We remain inspired by the people and projects that help to address the issue of providing affordable, energy efficient and good quality housing for local people.” Tickets for the event are available now on the Rural Housing Scotland website. 

Sustainable Rural Communities – Programme
Book Your Place Now!
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Tomduie Clachan – Comrie Croft

Tomduie Clachan, an RHS Smart Clachan pilot, is a zero-carbon 100% affordable, co-housing scheme that will be the innovation flagship in ongoing efforts to establish Comrie Croft as Scotland’s foremost demonstration and visitor learning centre for rural regeneration and future living. Modelled on a traditional Scottish clachan, reimagined for the 21st Century, Tomduie will demonstrate ways of rural living that positively impact the planet and community. The Clachan will also provide vital housing for Croft staff, enterprise owner/managers and others in housing need locally.

Tomduie will be at the heart of Comrie Croft’s planned regenerative learning activities, including visitor tours, events, educational activities and exhibits, and vocational training. These activities are expected to make a significant contribution to changing mindsets, by demonstrating new and better ways of living that are vital to the future of the planet and our local communities, while at the same time growing the Croft’s visitor numbers and associated revenues.

Tomduie Clachan infographic, showing the use of traditional Scottish clachan design

Some of the key regenerative living aspects that Tomduie Clachan will demonstrate are:

  • Highest resource efficiency design and build standards, including innovative construction techniques and the use of minimally processed and locally-sourced natural building materials.
  • Net carbon neutrality (and added sequestration) from the outset both in the build and in usage.
  • Harmony with the surrounding landscape, incorporating traditional Scottish clachan principles.
  • Permaculture principles for managing land and producing food in and around the clachan.
  • Co-housing approaches to living involving the sharing of essential services and infrastructure (e.g., electric vehicles and laundry) and cooperation in fulfilling various communal roles and functions.
  • Integrated onsite enterprises, jobs and services, e.g., the Croft’s farm shop and buildings maintenance services.
  • Off-grid renewable energy (solar and hydroelectric) and high-efficiency battery storage.
  • Affordable housing in perpetuity and a housing allocation policy based on supporting and working within the community.
  • A zero-waste permaculture-based wastewater treatment system.
  • Minimising household waste and consumption using reduce, reuse and recycle best practices.

Subject to receiving planning permission, the Clachan will be established in the north-central part of Comrie Croft’s Sustainable Living Zone according to the Comrie Croft Masterplan, with a development footprint of 0.25ha. The rest of the zone will be dedicated to permaculture-based land management.

Comrie Croft landscape, showing the site of the proposed Tomduie Clachan

Key co-housing features

As with Scottish clachans in the past, Tomduie Clachan will foster a communal approach to living involving shared essential services and infrastructure, and cooperation in fulfilling various communal roles and functions. In developing this community-driven approach, the main aim will be to foster and encourage cooperation, sharing and working together, as much as possible, on an organic and informal basis.

The Clachan will comprise nine homes with a mix of owner-occupied and rental tenures, plus three common spaces. An important aim will be to establish perpetual affordability of Clachan homes, which will be achieved by attaching Rural Housing Burdens to all Clachan homeowner title deeds. Affordability of rental homes will also be built into the scheme, with rents pegged to Perth and Kinross Council’s mid-level affordable rates.  A housing allocation scheme has already been developed for both owner-occupied and rental homes, with the overall aim of building a thriving self-reliant, socially inclusive and intergenerational Clachan community.

Tomduie’s streetscape shows how the traditional clachan design
provides an outstanding platform for successful rural placemaking

Shared communal management will be achieved by establishing a householder representative Community Interest Company – Tomduie Collective Housing CIC – which will have lead responsibility for the overall development of the Clachan housing as well as common infrastructure and services. TCH CIC will enable Clachan residents to adopt a “collective self-build” approach to establishing the individual homes and common spaces, which will deliver economies of scale in building flexible and affordable housing.

Current status (November 2022)

A vital hurdle in establishing Tomduie Clachan is securing planning permission from Perth & Kinross Council. A revised planning application was submitted at the beginning of October 2022 (the previous application having been withdrawn in order to respond to initial feedback received from the Council), and a response is expected within the next few months. In the meantime, Comrie Croft is undertaking extensive consultations and awareness raising with its local community as well as with Perth & Kinross Councillors and staff.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about Tomduie Clachan, you can contact Andrew Donaldson at Comrie Croft: andrew@comriecroft.com

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News

European Rural Parliament 2022

In this blog, our Communications Assistant, Kirsten, tells us about her experience when she attended the European Rural Parliament in Poland last month.

In September, I was delighted to have the opportunity to join the Scottish delegation attending the 5th European Rural Parliament (ERP) in Kielce, Poland – a gathering of 400 rural people, including researchers, representatives from rural organisations, national governments and European institutions, from 39 countries across Europe. The ERP is a long-term campaign to amplify the voice of rural people. It is recognised by the European Commission and plays a significant role in shaping European rural policy, through the belief that rural people themselves have the best understanding of their strengths, potential and needs. The main gathering of European Rural Parliament (ERP) takes place in a different location every two years. It results in a Declaration, backed by a more detailed manifesto.

Delegates came from diverse range of backgrounds, including Ukraine and Armenia, which are both facing extraordinary challenges, bringing experience, expertise and perspective on variety of common rural issues. We spent four, very full, days hearing from passionate individuals and organisations, comparing our issues, sharing our stories, listening and learning.

The Scottish Delegation

As a 25 year old, who has returned to the rural peninsula of Applecross on the west coast, to live and work, I’m used to comments from people who struggle to understand my choice to be here, often feeling its their place to enlighten me on what I’m ‘missing out on’.

“There’s nothing to do here! Don’t you get bored?”

“Why don’t you move to a city, there’s nothing here for young people.”

“I could never live here…”

Whilst this unsolicited life advice doesn’t really bother me, it does perpetuate the stigma that young people in this area still face when they choose to stay, return or move here for the first time. I don’t feel like this stigma is talked about a lot, but most of my peers will confirm it is prevalent. Something I loved most about the ERP, was being surrounded by hundreds of people, from every corner of Europe, who understood why we choose to live in, work in and advocate for rural areas. No stigma, explanation nor justification needed.

Throughout the week, I participated in workshops on rural proofing and youth employment, as well as a genuinely inspiring ‘ideas café’, led by youth delegates attending through Erasmus. The discussions I had highlighted the individuality of every rural place and paradoxically, our shared struggles.

Seven of us, all of different nationalities between the ages of 20 and 30, sat around a table to discuss housing. Empty or unaffordable houses were a common theme, but not always for the same reasons. In that half hour, we dissected the issue from our different perspectives before painting our shared vision for our rural future, sharing practical ideas and suggestions on how we might get there. The crux of our review was simply that rural areas need adequate, affordable housing options – a basic human right which has become somewhat a luxury in the UK, that both rural and urban dwelling young people are frequently denied.

From constructive conversations on housing to agriculture, and climate change to employment, we tackled a wide range of issues head-on. During these conversations and presentations, I found myself considering this aforementioned idea of stigma. There we were, 400 of us, fans of rural for a variety of reasons, sharing our understanding of the global importance of rural areas for society as a whole, as a producer of food, with outstanding natural capital, and opportunities for the green future we urgently need to pursue. But, to achieve our great potential, we need urban people to understand too. We need to fundamentally change the urban lens that views rural areas as vast expanses of nothingness, starting in our education systems. Rural areas have so much to offer and as the youth delegates concluded, they cannot be ignored.

At the end of the week, we witnessed the signing of the Rural People’s Declaration of Kielce, a moment which felt very empowering. Part of me had been concerned that I would leave the ERP feeling fatigued and disillusioned after delving too deep into the issues in which I have a personal, professional and emotional stake, but I was surprised to truly feel the opposite. I ended the week with a revived sense of purpose and optimism, which is hard to come by just now, for rural futures. There’s a lot of work to do, but a problem shared internationally, is certainly a problem that feels a lot lighter.

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Guest blog

Sustainable Rural Housing for the Future | Sam Foster

Sam Foster is an architect working with Architype. His experience includes six years at Gaia Architects, nine years running his own practice and two years at Rural Housing Scotland as project manager for community-led affordable housing projects in rural Scotland – all of which focused on low-energy design using natural, non-toxic and low embodied carbon construction materials. He has lectured at several universities in Scotland and given talks to industry and the public on a wide range of ecological design aspects, including building health, energy efficiency and natural materials.

The UK is building houses like it’s still the 1960s. 

Whether in cities, towns or villages, we lay them out, Toy Town style, often in joyless, mono-functional ‘estates’, devoid of richness and located away from schools, shops and places to have fun.

We prioritise the movement of cars over people and ignore orientation, often putting car parking in the sunniest part of what would have made a nice garden or sunroom. 

We construct them poorly, for the lowest cost, from polluting materials that are known to be harmful to human health and the environment. 

We build in a way that is exceptionally wasteful of materials, where both the building process and the completed homes contribute hugely to climate change. 

And then we sell them to the highest bidder, for the greatest profit, hoping they won’t spot the problems before any period of responsibility has run out. 

Occupants are left with draughty, poorly insulated, uninspiring and dark houses that make them feel unwell and isolated, and despite us spending 92% of our time inside, we don’t regularly check them in any way to make sure they’re fit to live in.

This is legal, and it is normal in the UK. It has been fuelled by government policy and private greed for over forty years, but it is changing. We are seeing the slow but consistent growth of positive, alternative ways of building that expand on the aspirations of some amazing single houses and community-led affordable housing projects; that prioritise health and wellbeing without being expensive; that are built by groups of people in awkward but enriching locations, who invest sweat and care into creating a place with a feeling of belonging. 

Those people range from organisations such as forward-looking Housing Associations and Councils to groups of people with a firm belief that something better must be possible. Taking this leap involves stepping out of the ‘normal now’ train of thought and deciding – intentionally – to do something different, to make a ‘new normal’ that begins at first principles. 

They become beautiful places that people want to live in.

By doing this, councils such as Exeter, Housing Associations such as Fairfield and Hastoe, and build-groups like those at LILAC in Leeds have created housing that is good for people and the planet. They are bright, comfortable, big enough, inclusive, joyful, affordable to live in – and affordable to build. They improve occupants’ health and help reduce the risk of isolation and ill health in the first place – reducing the cost of NHS care and medication. They become beautiful places that people want to live in.

Scotland needs to see the widespread development and delivery of transformative housing projects like these – and the best place to start is in rural and island areas. After all, if they can work here – where weather, workforce, sites and materials pose the greatest physical and financial challenges – then they can almost certainly work in urban areas. 

Some projects are already underway, such as Hope Co-Housing (a co-housing project in Orkney for older women), Braemar Community Housing (community-led affordable housing for rent) and Smart Clachan. These have lots of things in common but three factors stand out as being particularly critical to their sustainability:

  1. They all take the climate and biodiversity crises seriously by being built from low-carbon materials to extremely high levels of energy efficiency;
  2. As such they all require very little energy to keep them warm, helping future tenants to avoid the risk of fuel poverty, and;
  3. They are all being directly developed by the communities whose residents will ultimately live in them, meaning they have a vested interest in making sure they’re of the best possible quality.
Digital mock up of Smart Clachan in Uist

Decarbonising the national grid (which many are calling loudly for) is important – but will make absolutely no difference to the amount of energy needed to keep a house warm, especially in rural and island communities where it’s common to experience much colder temperatures and more wind chill than urban areas. Reducing energy demand, by insulating and draught-proofing homes using natural and renewable materials, is a no-brainer.

‘Who pays for it?’ I hear you cry. That’s a good question, and one that policy think-tank Common Weal has pondered in great detail in its ‘Our Common Home’ campaign. And there are other enormous issues for us to face too, such as how to make land ownership fairer so that we can actually build the homes we need, and how to move away from the tendency to see our homes as money-making assets. 

People want to live in homes that are good for them and the planet, and which are built in places they have a connection with. While the Scottish Government’s Housing to 2040 strategy has attempted to make achieving this easier, it fails to offer any real guidance for how to do this as a community. Giving communities control over how and where the homes they need are built – with appropriate planning controls – makes a lot of sense. Making this happen, though, relies on good deal of well-organised communication and support, which Rural Housing Scotland called for in its manifesto for the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections. This would be a good starting point for many of the current crop of ministers!

Categories
energy crisis Guest blog

Scottish Housing Day: The Rural Energy Crisis – Q&A with Energy Advisor, Donnie MacKay

From food to heating, cost of living is already disproportionately high in rural and island areas. As energy prices continue to soar, the outlook for rural communities is extremely concerning. Last year, on Scottish Housing Day, we shared two blogs which explored the reasons that rural homes are often far less energy efficient than those in urban areas and why it is difficult to change that.

This year, we spoke to Donnie MacKay, energy advisor for Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association to find out if there are any measures that those living in rural Scotland can take to mitigate rising bills. 

Navigating the different types of support can be overwhelming. Many people are unaware of government initiatives and can find them confusing, or don’t know if they are eligible. What is the first port of call for advice for both rural tenants and homeowners?

The single best place to begin is to telephone Home Energy Scotland. Their advisors offer free, impartial advice on energy saving, keeping warm at home, renewable energy, greener travel, cutting water waste and more. They are funded by the Scottish Government and managed by the Energy Saving Trust, and their goal is to help people in Scotland create warmer homes, reduce their bills and help tackle climate change.   

There are five Home Energy Scotland call centres in Scotland and all are contactable via a single Freephone telephone number 0808 808 2282. They can advise on a wide range of options for improving insulation, heating and draught protection. It is quite a long phone call so be prepared to answer questions about your home – its age, size, existing heating, existing insulation, and they will also want to know about the occupants. 

Some support schemes are means tested so they will want to know if anyone in the home receives any benefits, or are young or old. You should not presume in advance that they won’t be able to help – it is always worth making that call, and if you called in the past and they had little to offer – keep on phoning and keep on asking, as circumstances change, and support schemes change. 

Depending on eligibility and need there may be grant and/or interest free loan options. They can also advise you on any local authority area based schemes that are available, and they can signpost you for further support to any local advice service that might be working in your area. For any social housing or private tenant – ask your landlord for help. Social landlords in particular are obliged to deliver minimum energy efficiency standards, and new standards for private lets are imminent. For advice on the current energy price support schemes there is a good summary on the Money Advice Scotland website.

Could you please explain the roles of Home Energy Scotland, Warmworks and Warmer Homes Scotland?

Home Energy Scotland (HES) with its network of five call centres and its single Freephone number should be your first point of contact if you are looking to find solutions to improve the comfort, warmth and energy efficiency of your home. 

Warmer Homes Scotland is one of the major Scottish Government support schemes that can be accessed via (HES). It is principally designed to support homeowners, and particularly the most vulnerable households, to help ensure the delivery of affordable warmth, and it is means tested. 

Warmworks is the delivery agent for Warmer Homes Scotland and it is a joint venture partnership between the Energy Saving Trust, Changeworks and Everwarm.

Where would a rural homeowner or tenant start if they wanted to change to a better heating system, such as an air-source heat pump, or improve insulation?

The best place to start is with your own experience of what works and doesn’t work in your home. Are you warm on a cold winter’s day – do you have problems managing humidity, are your costs incredibly high and your outcomes poor? 

As an in-home energy advisor, I have a simple mantra for all households – tackle and understand the key five elements that together determine the likelihood of achieving affordable warmth – fabric, ventilation, heating, people and tariff.

Fabric – The number one rule of home energy efficiency is that your home should be wind and watertight with the fabric insulated in key places – external walls, floors, roofs – stop the wind and rain coming in and stop the heat from going out. Lofts for example should have a sea of insulation on the loft floor 1 ft deep.

Ventilation  – Seal the bad ventilation (the draughts) and encourage the good ventilation that gives you good air quality and well managed humidity.

Heating – Be in charge of your heating system and understand it – don’t let it be in charge of you. Use thermostats and controls well –don’t overheat – have good heat zone management

People – Our behaviours have huge impact. Heat and energy is expensive so use and manage it well – create your own management regime – understand the importance of humidity management  and zone control

Tariff – Buy your fuel (all fuels) from the cheapest provider

Having done your own home audit against these principles, find out what support schemes are available nationally and locally via Home Energy Scotland and the Energy Savings Trust websites. If you live in a traditional home, look at all of the case studies that Historic Environment Scotland have published – they have a wide range of useful online publications.

Many homes will also have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) that details a range of potential improvements. If you have mislaid your existing EPC you can download a copy from the Scottish EPC Register. 

Also of major importance for pensioners is to check if you might qualify for Pension Credit. Pension Credit is known as a passport benefit and if you receive it – it opens the doors to other benefits. It is estimated that many hundreds of thousands of eligible households have not claimed it.

Where government support isn’t available, what low-cost steps can people take to reduce energy bills themselves?

  • Be proactive and be in charge – create your own winter plan – we all consume half of all of our annual energy in the coldest four months of the year
  • Take meter readings every week and ensure you are being billed on accurate usage – not estimates.
  • Get very fussy and be annoying to yourself and others about preventing  energy wastage in the home – fuel is expensive so use it carefully.
  • Think of the five point challenge above and how your home rates against it.
  • If money is really tight, focus on creating one or two warm zones in a cool house.
  • Consciously winter-proof your home – thickest curtains and seal the draughts.

Many rural residents often feel sceptical towards government energy efficiency initiatives, as often they exclude rural and island areas. People are also often nervous about scams. What advice would you give anyone in a rural/island area to make sure they don’t fall for anything illegitimate?

It is generally a good rule to ignore all schemes that knock on your door or cold call you by telephone and seem to be offering an amazing deal. Far better to be proactive rather than reactive – assess your own needs first and then ask for help via Home Energy Scotland first or via a trusted local agency that works in your area. 

What sort of further government support do you think will be needed as the situation worsens?

The current financial packages are wholly insufficient to deal with the challenge. In particular those with complex health needs will need more specific and dedicated support. We believe that GPs and health professionals should be allowed to prescribe warmth. There is also a higher cost burden in off-gas UK where energy costs can easily be £1000 more per annum than the dual fuel cap levels. Dedicated support for electric heat, heating oil and LPG customers is needed.

Donnie Mackay is an in-home energy advisor on the Isle of Skye. The energy advice service, hosted by Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association supports all residents in Skye and Lochalsh.