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Lairg & District Community Initiatives

Lairg Community Housing Project

Sutherland Arms Way - Opened on 7th March 2024.

 

The eight houses on ‘Sutherland Arms Way’ are the result of a partnership project between Lairg & District Community Initiatives (LDCI) and Albyn Housing Society.

The houses are the first investment in social housing in Lairg since the ‘Glenburn’ houses were constructed in the mid-1990s.

The houses are built on land that was formerly the site of the Sutherland Arms Hotel.  The hotel was demolished in 2007 and the site lay empty for many years.  LDCI purchased the land in February 2018 - bringing it into community ownership.

In the years that followed LDCI worked with Albyn Housing Society through the complexities of the planning process, sourcing funding and the setback of the Covid 19 pandemic. 

The aim of the project was to create affordable, accessible housing that would allow people with health conditions or higher levels of support needs to live independently in their own community instead of being forced to move away for adequate housing. 

In March 2024 the houses were completed, with the building contractors handing them over to Albyn Housing Society to manage. 

All eight houses are wheelchair accessible throughout. Four houses have two bedrooms and were allocated under the allocation process through the Highland Housing register.

The four FIT homes are part of an initiative to provide housing for residents with higher levels of support needs. They've been designed after consultation with health professionals, families and carers to enable people to live as independently as possible, for as long as possible, through the use of technology. They are designed to be flexible and respond to the changing needs of the residents, providing extra space for specialist support and care when required.  This type of housing has been built in only three other places in the Highlands. The Lairg houses are the only ones in a rural community, the others being in Inverness, Nairn and Dingwall.

The project has attracted the highest level of public sector funding seen in Lairg for a very long time. The bulk of the total project cost of £2.3 million came from the Scottish Government, who made £1.3 million available from the More Homes Division.  Albyn Housing Society contributed £600,000, and Highland Council contributed £200,000 from its Infrastructure fund, and a further £200,000 from the City Region Deal funding. 

LDCI donated the land on which the houses stand, and the surrounding parking and access areas at an indicative value of £90,000. The financial leverage this donation has achieved is therefore very substantial. The rest of the Sutherland Arms site remains with LDCI, and therefore in community ownership.

LDCI is very grateful to all the funders mentioned above, to Albyn Housing Society, Compass Building & Construction Services, and to everyone who has contributed to the project over the years, including  previous board members, contractors and employees who were involved in the early stages.

Sutherland Arms Way - Project Timeline

 

2024

May 2024 - all the houses were allocated to people who live in the local community.

 

7th March 2024 – After a construction period of approximately 48 weeks the houses were completed. Compass Building & Construction Services handed over the development to Albyn Housing Society who will manage and maintain the properties.

 

The handover

 

2023

Scottish Government agreed funding.

LDCI ‘gifted’ part of the Sutherland Arms Site to Albyn housing for the homes.

Compass Building & Construction Services awarded the contract to build all 8 homes.

24th March - License to occupy the site was put in place to allow trees to be felled and site compound set up. Construction started.

Albyn started to set up the process of the allocation system.

Community drop in events – members of the community and prospective residents had the opportunity to speak to developers and architects.

24th April – Community Engagement Afternoon  (see page 12 in Lairg Magazine)

22nd June – Allocations process engagement evening  (see page 10 in Lairg Magazine)

 

Kirsty Morrison, CEO of Albyn Housing Association with directors from Lairg & District Community Initiatives at the project launch

Kirsty Morrison, CEO of Albyn Housing Association with directors from Lairg & District Community Initiatives at the project launch

 

2021/2022

Design of the houses was ongoing and building warrant applications submitted.

Albyn continued discussions on funding.

Continued legal discussions between Albyn/ LDCI about land transfers and ownership of the housing units.

It was agreed that the most efficient project would be for Albyn to own the land, and build and operate all 8 units.

Project tendered on the open market to provide tendered prices.

Ongoing discussions to try and reduce the project costs to ensure funding for the units would be available – this resulted in LDCI agreeing to gift part of the site for all 8 units.

 

2020

January 2020 – Community consultation days were held to invite the community to review draft proposals for new affordable housing with very positive feedback from members of the community who attended the event.

(Four houses are 1-bedroom fit homes and the other four are 2-bedroom homes – all intended to be for the elderly and vulnerable.)

1st Lockdown

Spring - Planning application submitted for 8 houses.

Summer - Planning granted.

Discussions with Albyn over the partnership, governance and land and Memorandum of Understanding.

Funding investigated.

Albyn underwent a restructuring.

 

2018-2019

LDCI purchased the land in February 2018.

HSCHT (The Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust) undertook a review of housing needs.

Following the results of that survey, in Autumn 2018, LDCI engaged Great Glen Consulting.

Following the review of the project, the decision was reached to phase the project and concentrate on delivery of independent housing units – in early 2019.

In summer 2019 LDCI were approached by Albyn Housing who were interested in part of the site for housing.

It was agreed that Albyn would submit a planning application for all the houses working in partnership with LDCI.

 

Image of the empty site

     The vacant site

 

2017 

The Sutherland Arms Site went back on the market.

 

2010

Sutherland Arms Hotel site was placed on the open market. This automatically triggered the Community Right to Buy held on the site.

An independent valuer was appointed by the Scottish Ministers and the Highland Council conducted a community ballot on behalf of Lairg and District Community Initiatives.

Following the valuation, the site owner took the decision to withdraw the site from the market.

Lairg and District Community Initiatives agreed that the ballot count should continue as planned and would clearly evidence the public opinion.

 

2007 

Sutherland Arms Hotel demolished - Following this the residents of Lairg were asked if they supported Lairg and District Community Initiatives' proposal to exercise on behalf of the community, the ‘Community Right to Buy’ under the Land Reform Act (Scotland) 2003.

 

1998 

Sutherland Arms Hotel closed after 100 years of hosting guests 

All of the Sutherland Arms Way homes have been allocated and have residents living in them. 

· Allocations to Fit Homes are made through a nominations process and can be made by NHS Highland, Albyn Housing Society and the Highland Council.  To find out more email: fhallocations@albynhousing.org.uk

· The Highland Housing Register is for people who are applying for housing in the Highlands. Applications can be made online at:
https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/925/council_housing/244/apply_for_a_house

 

 

Consultation

Archive Press Release: January 2020

The people of Lairg turned out in significant numbers on a wet and windy Wednesday to attend a consultation event in the community centre.

The Lairg and District Community Initiative (LDCI) and Albyn Housing Society (AHS) invited the community to review draft proposals for some new affordable housing.

In Spring 2019, the two organisations identified a common purpose to develop homes in Lairg, which were designed to support independent living within the village for older people or those with medical needs. LDCI had already made significant progress by conducting a feasibility study and securing funding to purchase the site of the former Sutherland Arms Hotel which had lain empty for some years.

Albyn Housing aim to deliver four “FIT” homes as the rural phase of an innovative project funded by the Scottish Government’s City Region Deal. These homes are flexible in design to accommodate a person’s changing needs and, are further enabled by technology as part of a research and development project to develop software which aims to predict changing health.

The Lairg and District Community Initiative have developed plans for community owned flexible homes for older people which are of a scale and design to allow ease of movement for a someone who may need to use a wheelchair or who may need care.  These are designed to full wheelchair standard with wet rooms and storage designed to cater for the needs of older people or those with dementia.

The very positive feedback from members of the community who attended the event will enable both organisations to move forward confidently to the next stage. We aim to submit a formal planning application in Spring 2020.  

Albyn Chief Executive Officer Lisa Buchanan said

“We believe that in working collaboratively with our community partners, both organisations are in a stronger position to deliver homes which meet the needs of people in Lairg and which will have a positive and lasting impact on the village.

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