Comhairle nan Eilean Siar said it “stands ready” to support a buyout of the Bays of Harris estate, should the community vote to go take it over.
A postal ballot to determine support for a community buyout is being held next month.
Donald Crichton, chairman of the comhairle’s sustainable development committee, said residents have a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to have their say on taking control of their future through community ownership of the land where they live.
The Bays of Harris Estate is owned by the Hitchcock family who bought it for £5000 after the death of Lord Leverhulme, a founder of what is now the Unilever multinational giant, in 1925.
The area runs from Direcleit towards Leverburgh, the main settlement in South Harris which is also the port for the Sound of Harris ferry. A separate parcel of land at Northon is landlocked between two other estates.
Also included is the Isle of Berneray as well as the uninhabited Hermetray group of islands off North Uist across the Sound of Harris.
Donald Crichton said: “Comhairle nan Eilean Siar views community land ownership as a key strategic objective to enable communities to benefit from the wealth generated by the land assets where they live.
“Community land ownership has a proven track record of delivering local sustainable development in the Outer Hebrides, as illustrated by the fact that over 75% of the islands’ population live on community owned land.”
He added: “The comhairle welcomes the forthcoming ballot on a possible community buyout of the Bays of Harris estate.
“The feasibility study and business plan prepared for the Bays of Harris steering group shows that community ownership of the estate can help deliver much needed affordable housing, jobs, and crofting support for the area, making the community more resilient by retaining and growing its resident population in a more demographically balanced way.”
A feasibility study by consultants, Duncan MacPherson and Faye Macleod, indicated community ownership of the Bays of Harris estate can make a significant contribution to securing the future sustainability of the community, which has faced decades of depopulation and a lack of affordable local housing.
A business plan linked to the feasibility study shows that the estate is financially profitable -
Bays of Harris residents urged to grasp ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity
26 August 2022