Скачать или смотреть Radical Housing Conference Scotland Part 1 Pm Session 2

Led by Morven Fancy from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Dermot Lawlor from Scottish Futures Trust, explored radical solutions for rural housing in Scotland, highlighting the economic and demographic challenges.
1. The Rural Housing Crisis and Systemic Imbalance
• Scotland’s population is highly concentrated in the Central Belt, with 4.1 million out of 5.4 million people living there, while rural and island communities struggle with depopulation.
• Despite the Scottish Government’s Population Strategy (2021) calling for proactive rebalancing, most housing development announcements focus on urban Scotland, ignoring the rural housing emergency.
• Young people in rural and island areas face forced migration due to lack of affordable housing, limiting the region’s future workforce and economic growth.
2. Economic Growth vs. Housing Shortages
• The Highlands and Islands are experiencing unprecedented economic growth, primarily due to renewable energy projects (onshore/offshore wind, hydro, and grid transformation).
• Over £100 billion in investment and 25,000+ new jobs are expected in rural Scotland in the next 10-15 years.
• Despite this, housing remains a major constraint, with young workers unable to stay and businesses struggling to attract and retain staff due to lack of accommodation.
• Historically, major industries (forestry, hydro, aluminium, and pulp mills) built housing for workers, but current housebuilding costs are unaffordable for most, exceeding £500,000 per unit.
3. The Role of Businesses in Rural Housing
• Unlike urban businesses, rural businesses must invest in staff housing to sustain operations.
• Examples of businesses taking housing into their own hands:
• A major resort on Arran has spent £3.5 million on staff housing.
• Highland Coast Hotels has acquired properties in multiple rural areas to accommodate workers.
• Scottish salmon farming companies provide 61 properties housing 130+ staff.
• SSEN Transmission is exploring worker housing with a long-term community legacy.
• While this approach is necessary, it places an unfair burden on businesses, requiring policy support to ensure long-term sustainable housing solutions.
4. Key Questions for Policy and Housing Reform
Morven Fancy outlined critical questions that need urgent attention:
• Should rural Scotland be expected to provide the UK’s renewable energy while its communities lack housing and face depopulation?
• How do we address rural depopulation by building housing at scale, despite the unique challenges of dispersed communities?
• How can businesses attract workers if housing is unavailable?
• How can rural housing development be made easier, more affordable, and faster?
• How do we ensure rural housing receives equal attention to urban housing developments?
5. The Need for a New Housing Strategy: Insights from Scottish Futures Trust
Dermot Lawlor (Scottish Futures Trust) proposed a new model for rural housing, focused on relationships, coordination, and investment alignment.
Key elements of this model:
1. Shifting the Focus from Housing to Resilient Communities
• Housing should be seen as part of community and economic development, not just as a standalone issue.
• The goal is to create vibrant, long-term communities, not just build houses.
2. Integrated Partnerships Between Public and Private Sectors
• Businesses shouldn’t bear the burden alone—public-private partnerships are needed to coordinate investment, land use, and long-term planning.
• Aggregating housing demand from businesses, communities, and local governments can unlock investment and funding.
3. A New Model for Financing and Building Rural Homes
• Outcome-based financing models (e.g., linking housing investment to economic development goals) are being explored.
• Modern construction methods (offsite construction, modular homes) must be scaled in a way that blends traditional and new building techniques.
• Supply chain coordination is critical to reduce costs and accelerate development.
4. Lessons from Other Countries
• Dutch urban planning approaches show the benefits of coordinated, long-term government planning.
• The Scottish system is fragmented, requiring more strategic alignment across different sectors.
6. The Call for a Radical, Coordinated Approach
• The broken housing system won’t be fixed by small changes—it requires bold, systemic reforms.
• Scotland needs a coordinated rural housing strategy, leveraging public-private partnerships, community-led initiatives, and investment.
• Policy shifts are needed to ensure rural housing gets equal priority to urban development.
• Strategic leadership is essential, requiring both top-down government support and local grassroots action.
Conclusion:
• Scotland’s rural areas are at a crossroads—without urgent housing solutions, economic growth will be hindered, and depopulation will continue.
• Public-private coordination, investment reform, and community-driven models are key.