This page provides information on previous webinars from Rural Housing Scotland, including links to recordings, where available. Topics include land for housing, options for community-led housing, cohousing, funding, legal structures and community right to buy. To be the first to know about future webinars and other events, sign up to our email alert list.
12/08/2020: The Role of Land in Enabling New Housing Supply in Rural Scotland
David Stewart, Debbie Mackay and Graham Reid present the findings of the recent report by Savills for the Scottish Land Commission. The report was commissioned after previous research highlighted that, in many rural areas, not enough housing is being delivered to meet the current need, and to allow areas to fulfil their potential. The work is part of a wider review of Land for Housing & Development and examines the challenges in delivering rural housing as well as proposing practical solutions.
See the recordings from the Role of Land in Enabling New Housing Supply in Rural Scotland webinar.
28/07/2020: A Guide to Cohousing
Chris Coates, cohouser at Lancaster Cohousing and board member for the UK Cohousing Network, talks through the practicalities of setting up a cohousing project and provides an insight into day to day living in the community he is part of. Covering aspects such as land acquisition; establishing goals; managing the build; coordinating volunteer effort; sharing facilities; and managing the changing needs of cohousers, this session provides a good insight into the practicalities and principles to help you explore cohousing as an option for tackling housing need in your area.
See the recording from the Guide to Cohousing webinar.
08/07/2020: Legal Structures for Community-Led Housing Projects
Charity law specialist, Stephen Phillips of Burness Paull, explores legal frameworks for taking forward community-led housing projects in Scotland, covering corporate structures, property arrangements, contractual arrangements and funding arrangements. The presentation considers legal vehicles such as limited companies (including Community Interest Companies or CICS); Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations (SCIOs); registered societies in the form of co-operatives; registered charities in the form of BenComs.
See the recording from the Legal Structures for Community-Led Housing webinar.
17/06/2020: Options for Community-Led Housing
Our own Derek Logie was joined by architect John Kinsley and Alex Walker of New Findhorn Directions to outline some of the different models communities are using to develop community-led housing projects including working with housing associations; building community-owned homes; creating housing plots and new crofts; collective self build; and co-housing.
See the recordings from the Options for Community-Led Housing webinar.
03/06/2020: Planning and Community-Led Housing
Planning and Development Consultant Richard Heggie gave us a brief overview of planning for community-led housing, covering both ways to influence planning strategy and practical steps for community-led housing projects. This was followed by a presentation from architect and RHS Development Officer, Sam Foster, who used the affordable housing project we have been working on with Braemar Community Ltd as a real life example pf planning in action.
See the recordings from the Planning and Community-Led Housing webinar.
13/05/2020: Funding for Community-Led Housing Projects
We heard about the range of funding available to support community-led housing projects in Scotland with presentations from Jon Lee of Ecology Building Society; Sandra Holmes from HIE discussing the Scottish Land Fund; Chris Jamieson from Social Investment Scotland, Mike Staples from DGSCHT; and Derek Logie of Rural Housing Scotland.
See the recording of Funding for Community Led Housing Projects webinar.
29/04/2020: Community Right to Buy for Sustainable Development
Days after a new section of land reform legislation was enacted Dave Thomson from the Scottish Government’s Community Land Team discussed how the new rules on right to buy for sustainable development will enable communities to buy land themselves or nominate other parties to buy it on their behalf to benefit the community. Includes an introduction from Derek Logie on the work of Rural Housing Scotland and Q&A session with Dave Thomson after the presentation.
See the recording of Community Right to Buy for Sustainable Development webinar.