Island's plan for first new homes in 25 years is 'crucial for future'

Published on Tuesday 14 January 2003 00:00

PLANS are being drawn up to build the first new homes on Gigha for more than 25 years, in a bid to increase the population by nearly a third.

Fourteen homes are proposed for existing islanders and people planning to move to Gigha, which was taken over by a community-led trust last March.

From April, eight houses are being provided in conjunction with the Fyne Housing Association, while six households have bought plots from the trust and are working collectively to build new homes and share the costs. Four of these families already live on the island and the other two wish to return.

The building of the new houses, and the re-allocation of existing properties, is expected to add another 35 people to the Gigha population, which stands at 110.

Alan Hobbett, the island’s development officer, said: "That is a very significant increase in numbers and re-building the population is crucial to our future.

"There have been a lot of people who have left in recent years, largely as a result of a lack of affordable housing, who now want to come back."

He said a survey showed that as well as 55 households on the island, there were 15 "hidden" households - where people are sharing with others as they do not have their own home.

"Some of that may be through choice but the numbers are about three times what you would expect from the size of the population. There is clearly unmet demand for housing on the island.

"Many people who left did so because they did not have a home, but anyone who now wants to return to live and work here has the opportunity to purchase a plot to build their own home - that was never the case before."

In the next couple of months, the Isle of Gigha Community Trust also hopes to bring forward plans to set up its own construction company to build the homes, creating new jobs.

The population will be further boosted by the buyer of Achamore House, the former laird’s property on Gigha.

The trust is currently in talks with three interested parties, two from the UK and one from the United States, with the hope that it will be run as a commercial enterprise with community benefits as well as a home.

If the talks do not produce a sale by this Easter, the 19th century property will be advertised for sale, with an asking price of over 600,000.

The trust also announced that the three current dairy farms on Gigha are to double in size as part of a restructuring programme, which will also see the disused Achamore Farm advertised for let to bring it back into use.

Together, it is hoped the farms will produce two million litres of milk, an increase from the current level of 1.2 million litres.

Islanders secured the 4 million buy-out of Gigha from the previous laird, Derek Holt, with a 3.5 million grant from the Scottish Land Fund and 500,000 from Highland and Islands Enterprise’s community land unit.

The locals have to repay 1 million of the total within two years.

Mr Hobbett said they will pass the 100,000 mark very shortly, about three months ahead of schedule.

Meanwhile, workshop units are to be built on the island to encourage new businesses to set up.

Argyll and the Islands Enterprise is spending over 360,000 on the units, which will replace old sheds on a site bought from the community trust.