Islanders are to vote on plans for Scotland’s latest community buyout.
Seven years in the making, the Bays of Harris Estate buyout would include the isle of Berneray for an anticipated price tag of over £1million, lengthy negotiations have taken place between landlords – the Hitchcock family – and the community steering group, which is chaired by John Maher, former drummer with The Buzzcocks, which rose to fame in the 1970s.
Now, a final business plan is being produced and a feasibility study, originally drawn up in 2016, is being updated after the Scottish Land Fund granted the buyout group £7,200 funding.
Three meetings to update the community have been held in Leverburgh, the Bays of Harris and Berneray where 55 people, almost half of the island population of 120, turned out this week.
Mr Maher, chairman of the Bays of Harris Steering Group, said that now more information has been confirmed about the estate’s income more people are supporting the plan.
He said: “I have seen a shift of opinion, some people still say no, leave it as it is, but people have read the information now and there is a sense of shifting to yes.
“The ones that were maybe on the fence I think we have kind of made it clear to them that there is a better future if we go for the buyout, as opposed to leaving it as it is, especially when you see estates on either side of us, the North Harris Trust and the West Harris Trust,and what they have achieved.
”The population of West Harris has increased in the last decade as the community managers have safeguarded affordable housing plots for people living and working in the area.”
Mr Maher said the Bays of Harris group believed that income from the estate there could also be used to aid affordable housing for locals, something which had been high on the wish list of islanders at recent public meetings.
He added that the landowner had now agreed to include previously protected income streams if it was sold to the community, making the proposal much more viable.
Mr Maher said: “It does generate a significant amount of income, it can be up to six figures in a year, there are BT telephone masts, police transmitters and Vodaphone, a couple of fish farm rentals, income from the electricity board wayleaves over land and croft rents.
“Lots of people have mentioned the issue of affordable housing, there is a high percentage of second homes and holiday homes and when a house comes up for sale it’s often going to somebody off the island.
”The community can see lots of other opportunities to invest the income in, including tourism projects in response to the increase in camper vans visiting the islands.”
Only residents who are on the electoral roll will be eligible to vote in the ballot which, including 16 and 17 year olds, will go out to about 620 people.
Mr Maher said: “Community ownership of the Bays of Harris estate offers a potentially vital opportunity to safeguard the future of our community.
“The updated feasibility report will provide a rigorous assessment of the viability of the estate under community ownership and enable the community to make an informed decision about the merits of a buyout. He said the business plan was due to be completed by the end of March, with ballot papers going out at the end of April. Islanders will have around two weeks to cast their vote.
He added: ”The landowner has agreed to a community buyout only if that is what the majority of islanders want. The Scottish Land Fund have said it needs to be a significant mandate to show there is a definite interest in the community.”
The Scottish Land Fund can grant up to 95 percent of the land purchase price.
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