AN UPDATE about the proposed new affordable housing in Staffin will be provided this weekend.
Staffin Community Trust (SCT) is progressing plans for six new houses and business units at a site on common grazings tenanted by the Stenscholl Township. SCT is working in partnership with the Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust and Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association to deliver the new affordable houses, which would be the first built in Staffin since 1999.
SCT and its partners are now working towards submitting a planning application to Highland Council with local architectural firm, Rural Design.
On Saturday (March 4) Rural Design architect Alan Dickson will be on hand to discuss the proposed site layout and design at a community consultation drop-in event in Staffin. Local residents will be able to comment on the development at the SCT office between 2pm and 5pm. Anybody unable to make that time can call into the SCT office the following week from Monday, March 6 to Friday, March 10, between 9am and 5pm, and view the plans then.
Plans for Staffin affordable housing.
SCT has held discussions with the Stenscholl Township and will have further talks as the project develops. It is hoped to submit a planning application to Highland Council by the end of the month.
The Scottish Government’s Rural Housing Fund and the Scottish Land Fund awarded grants before the end of 2016 to allow SCT to progress the development and appoint an architect. A major affordable housing needs report on Staffin was published in 2014, which was funded by Highland Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and identified a need for homes to arrest the district’s population decline and falling school roll. Staffin Community Council is supportive of the project, as are MSPs Kate Forbes (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) and David Stewart (Highlands and Islands).