Scottish Government failing to help build homes 1/11/11
Sirs,
A small article in the press this weekend caught my eye. It intimated that the Scottish Government ‘hailed as a success’ a scheme to build affordable homes where the National Housing Trust ‘allows developers and councils jointly to fund homes with loans underwritten by the Government.’ Sounds good. It continued that ‘almost half of Scotland’s 32 councils are expected to sign up for phase two.’ Comhairle nan Eilean Siar will not be part of the scheme. Basically because CNES does not have the money to be involved in such a scheme.
This is a clear example of a Government policy being universally applied but quite unsuitable for application everywhere in Scotland. The Scottish Government may be successful in engaging certain wealthy councils in this scheme but the Comhairle has no reserves to use for housing.
The recent application to the Investment and Innovation Fund, the only other show on the road, saw the Scottish Government contribute £534,948 to a deal valued in total at £1,195,884 to build ten new houses at Melbost Farm. (There are 750 on the local housing waiting list.) This sum of around ½ million compares with Government support for housing in the Outer Hebrides in 2008 of £7.6 million. The balance of funding for the ten houses is being provided through a Comhairle loan of £910,000 which will be recouped when houses are sold. This loan is necessary since the Scottish Government grant is not payable until after the houses are built.
For my money it appears as if the Scottish Government is making it almost impossible
to build houses in the Outer Hebrides. Neither the Comhairle nor HHP (who have a
great track record in house building since they were formed -
Right now it would be a suitable ‘Franklin D Roosevelt-
The Scottish Government has a commitment to reducing poverty. Here is an opportunity
to take decisive action to reduce the current relative poverty rate which stands
at 25% in the Outer Hebrides -
Angus McCormack
Cllr Stornoway South
25 North Street
Sandwick
Isle of Lewis
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