Views
Homes that people can afford - for the Strathspey & Badenoch Herald
LAST week, Matthew Taylor, the Liberal Democrat MP who is doing a review of affordable housing and the rural economy for the Prime Minister, spent the day in Boat of Garten learning about the extent of the housing crisis in the Highlands, and the innovative solutions that are being pursued here.
I am delighted that Matthew accepted my invitation to come north – his constituency is in Cornwall – and the event certainly shed light on what is still the most pressing issue by far in this area.
The crisis was highlighted starkly by information provided by a bank at the weekend, showing that the Highlands is one of the areas in Britain where house prices have risen fastest in recent years.
Average prices have more than tripled to over £170,000 – which is so far beyond what most local people can afford as to be almost unbelievable.
Except that it is true – and the situation is even worse here in Badenoch and Strathspey.
Even for a plot of land for someone wishing to build their own home – in the past regarded as an affordable option – prices in the local area can exceed £100,000. That is not affordable in anyone's language.
Matthew was particularly interested in the work of two innovative bodies in our area: the Highland Small Communities Housing Trust (which is run by my father, Di) and the Highland Housing Alliance.
Both have pioneered new ways of doing things, the former in developing community-led affordable housing in small communities, the latter in building a rolling-landbanking fund that allows public objectives of affordability to be achieved through the methods traditionally used in the private sector.
Both of these bodies help to release the shortage of land that is available for development, in order to get affordable homes where they are needed. There was also an important discussion about how homes are then allocated: we need to get much better at ensuring that affordable homes to rent and buy are used to meet the needs in the local community.
The private sector also has a huge role to play.
The scheme involving landowners in the Cairngorms National Park is one such example, as is the work of house-builders in finding lower cost ways to build homes.
Despite the controversy, I think the Highland Housing Fair, outside Inverness, can help showcase the potential that such innovation has to help tackle affordability and environmental problems.
National government has a big role to play. There are real fears that the proposed new Scottish Government housing strategy will make matters worse in rural areas, especially small communities.
And the UK government's total failure over many years to tackle irresponsible lending by banks has caused a housing bubble for which many people will pay the price in the next few months as they come to renegotiate their mortgage deals.
The people who will pay the highest price will be those – of whom there are many locally – who have stretched themselves financially in order to get a toe-hold on our inflated housing market. I am pressing hard for action now to help relieve that pressure before it is turned into an increase in home repossessions and debt.
Aviemore Highland Resort
MUCH has been written and said about approval of the second phase of the development of the Aviemore Highland Resort.
Having taken a close interest in this, alongside local politicians of all parties, I am firmly of the view that the Cairngorms National Park Authority took the right decision, for the right reasons, and that was in the best interests of the local community.
It is certainly important for all relevant documentation to be disclosed, and I have given permission for my letters to be published as part of a full release of all such information.
That should clear the air and allow things to move forward – though of course wrong-doing is found, it should certainly be investigated. But we must not lose sight of the positive benefits of this development for our area and ensure that it continues to move forward.
Posted on: 06/02/2008
