This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-64785851
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| The struggle to find a home in a picture-postcard village | The struggle to find a home in a picture-postcard village |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Sitting on the shores of Loch Broom, Ullapool is one of the most popular tourist spots in the Highlands. | Sitting on the shores of Loch Broom, Ullapool is one of the most popular tourist spots in the Highlands. |
| The fishing village and surrounding area, which is set among picture-postcard hills, lochs and coastline, has a population of just 2,200. | The fishing village and surrounding area, which is set among picture-postcard hills, lochs and coastline, has a population of just 2,200. |
| But for people who want to live and work in the community, it is a huge challenge to find somewhere affordable to call home. | But for people who want to live and work in the community, it is a huge challenge to find somewhere affordable to call home. |
| High costs, a booming tourism industry and issues affecting the building industry have been blamed for the problem. | High costs, a booming tourism industry and issues affecting the building industry have been blamed for the problem. |
| Lochbroom and Ullapool Community Trust, which has been examining the housing challenges, describes the lack of homes as a "very real and present crisis". | Lochbroom and Ullapool Community Trust, which has been examining the housing challenges, describes the lack of homes as a "very real and present crisis". |
| Some families have spent years trying to find a suitable property. | Some families have spent years trying to find a suitable property. |
| Ailsa McLellan has been trying to find a home for her and her two sons | Ailsa McLellan has been trying to find a home for her and her two sons |
| Marine scientist and mum-of-two Ailsa McLellan said it felt like she had been living on property websites for the past five years. | Marine scientist and mum-of-two Ailsa McLellan said it felt like she had been living on property websites for the past five years. |
| Ailsa has been trying to find a home after her marriage broke down, but has so far been unable to find somewhere to buy or rent due to a lack of long-term lets. | Ailsa has been trying to find a home after her marriage broke down, but has so far been unable to find somewhere to buy or rent due to a lack of long-term lets. |
| She has been living at a friend's house while she searches for a home. | She has been living at a friend's house while she searches for a home. |
| "Even the very few houses that come up in the area that I can almost afford are just terrible," she said. | "Even the very few houses that come up in the area that I can almost afford are just terrible," she said. |
| "The energy rates are really low. Most of them are oil-fired so I would be moving into a property I could not afford to heat. | "The energy rates are really low. Most of them are oil-fired so I would be moving into a property I could not afford to heat. |
| "There is no good housing stock." | "There is no good housing stock." |
| She said there were also issues when plots of land where someone could build their own home became available. | She said there were also issues when plots of land where someone could build their own home became available. |
| "The expense of the plot is generally quite high and you're likely to have to put in a private septic, your own access on often steep, rocky ground, and a connection to the electricity supply. | "The expense of the plot is generally quite high and you're likely to have to put in a private septic, your own access on often steep, rocky ground, and a connection to the electricity supply. |
| "The cost of a transformer for the electricity can be over £10,000." | "The cost of a transformer for the electricity can be over £10,000." |
| Hairdresser Georgie McIntosh and her music tutor husband David John moved to Ullapool from Edinburgh in 2017 with their young sons Archie and Isaac. | Hairdresser Georgie McIntosh and her music tutor husband David John moved to Ullapool from Edinburgh in 2017 with their young sons Archie and Isaac. |
| They were initially able to rent privately before securing a modern two-bedroom council property in 2020. | They were initially able to rent privately before securing a modern two-bedroom council property in 2020. |
| Last summer, David John's teenage cousin Jacqueline moved in following a family bereavement. | Last summer, David John's teenage cousin Jacqueline moved in following a family bereavement. |
| Georgie McIntosh and her family are also hunting for a home in Ullapool | Georgie McIntosh and her family are also hunting for a home in Ullapool |
| The family is on a waiting list for a larger property while they pursue their dream of owning their own home. They have looked into solutions such as a house swap. | The family is on a waiting list for a larger property while they pursue their dream of owning their own home. They have looked into solutions such as a house swap. |
| But Georgie said: "Ideally, we would love to buy. | But Georgie said: "Ideally, we would love to buy. |
| "We've secured a mortgage but the likelihood of us being able to buy with what we can get and what we have saved is slim. Housing to buy is pretty crazy - our budget is pretty much the asking price." | "We've secured a mortgage but the likelihood of us being able to buy with what we can get and what we have saved is slim. Housing to buy is pretty crazy - our budget is pretty much the asking price." |
| She said they had recently managed to make a bid on a property 3% over the asking price, but it went for 10% over. | She said they had recently managed to make a bid on a property 3% over the asking price, but it went for 10% over. |
| Georgie said they were determined to keep looking. | Georgie said they were determined to keep looking. |
| She said: "Ullapool is home for us now. We have made friends here and for us to move away we would lose so much." | She said: "Ullapool is home for us now. We have made friends here and for us to move away we would lose so much." |
| Lochbroom and Ullapool Community Trust (LUCT) and the Communities Housing Trust (CHT) have been investigating the housing issues. | Lochbroom and Ullapool Community Trust (LUCT) and the Communities Housing Trust (CHT) have been investigating the housing issues. |
| Their research found between July 2020 and June 2022 the average house price in the area was £256,000, while the most popular budget among people they spoke to was £150,000 or below. | Their research found between July 2020 and June 2022 the average house price in the area was £256,000, while the most popular budget among people they spoke to was £150,000 or below. |
| The study also suggested the average income in the area was likely to be about £25,000 per annum, limiting people's spending power. | The study also suggested the average income in the area was likely to be about £25,000 per annum, limiting people's spending power. |
| Ullapool is a popular tourist spot and a stop on the scenic North Coast 500 route. | Ullapool is a popular tourist spot and a stop on the scenic North Coast 500 route. |
| LUCT and CHT's study found almost 13% of the housing stock in the local area consisted of second homes or holiday accommodation, compared to a figure of about 6% for the Highland Council area in total. | LUCT and CHT's study found almost 13% of the housing stock in the local area consisted of second homes or holiday accommodation, compared to a figure of about 6% for the Highland Council area in total. |
| The trusts said the number of second homes and holiday lets would undoubtedly have increased since those figures were gathered as part of the 2011 Census. | The trusts said the number of second homes and holiday lets would undoubtedly have increased since those figures were gathered as part of the 2011 Census. |
| Brendan O'Hanrahan, of LUCT, said at least 70 new households were looking for homes within the next five years. | Brendan O'Hanrahan, of LUCT, said at least 70 new households were looking for homes within the next five years. |
| He said: "That's quite significant in somewhere as small as Ullapool and Lochbroom. | He said: "That's quite significant in somewhere as small as Ullapool and Lochbroom. |
| "The vast majority would be school leavers and people in their early 20s, who want to form independent households. | "The vast majority would be school leavers and people in their early 20s, who want to form independent households. |
| "At the moment, unfortunately, the prospects for them are pretty bleak." | "At the moment, unfortunately, the prospects for them are pretty bleak." |
| CHT's Ronnie Macrae said Brexit and Covid had hit the construction industry hard in terms of labour and materials and this had increased the already high cost of building rural housing. | CHT's Ronnie Macrae said Brexit and Covid had hit the construction industry hard in terms of labour and materials and this had increased the already high cost of building rural housing. |
| But he added that community-led housing offered a potential solution having "come on leaps and bounds over recent years". | But he added that community-led housing offered a potential solution having "come on leaps and bounds over recent years". |
| Mr Macrae said transformational projects had already been completed in Wester Ross, including in Applecross, Lochcarron, Gairloch and Achiltibuie. | Mr Macrae said transformational projects had already been completed in Wester Ross, including in Applecross, Lochcarron, Gairloch and Achiltibuie. |
| He said: "These have been enabled in a large part by the introduction of the Scottish Land Fund and importantly the Rural and Island Housing Fund. | He said: "These have been enabled in a large part by the introduction of the Scottish Land Fund and importantly the Rural and Island Housing Fund. |
| "We are currently working with many communities in Wester Ross on proposals for more community-led development." | "We are currently working with many communities in Wester Ross on proposals for more community-led development." |
| Availability of land is a major issue, according to Community Land Scotland. | Availability of land is a major issue, according to Community Land Scotland. |
| Much of the rocky and hilly terrain is unsuitable for housing plots and large areas of Wester Ross are in the hands of a small number of landowners. | Much of the rocky and hilly terrain is unsuitable for housing plots and large areas of Wester Ross are in the hands of a small number of landowners. |
| Community Land Scotland chairwoman Ailsa Raeburn said communities needed help in persuading landowners to release land for homes. | Community Land Scotland chairwoman Ailsa Raeburn said communities needed help in persuading landowners to release land for homes. |
| She said: "There is good Scottish government support for communities that want to build housing, but the final piece is land reform to give communities more power to bring forward suitable sites." | She said: "There is good Scottish government support for communities that want to build housing, but the final piece is land reform to give communities more power to bring forward suitable sites." |
| Ullapool is a popular destination with visitors to the Highlands | Ullapool is a popular destination with visitors to the Highlands |
| The local authority, Highland Council, has an aim to deliver 60 new affordable homes in the area by 2028 - with 50 in Ullapool and 10 more about 24 miles (37km) away in Achiltibuie. | The local authority, Highland Council, has an aim to deliver 60 new affordable homes in the area by 2028 - with 50 in Ullapool and 10 more about 24 miles (37km) away in Achiltibuie. |
| But a spokeswoman said: "The developments depend on securing land and finance. | But a spokeswoman said: "The developments depend on securing land and finance. |
| "The final tenure mix is yet to be agreed but will include opportunity for low-cost home ownership as well as mid-market rent as well as social rent by the council or housing partner." | "The final tenure mix is yet to be agreed but will include opportunity for low-cost home ownership as well as mid-market rent as well as social rent by the council or housing partner." |
| The Scottish government also said good quality housing was essential to attracting and retaining people in rural communities. | The Scottish government also said good quality housing was essential to attracting and retaining people in rural communities. |
| A spokesman said: "We have committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032 - with at least 10% in our remote, rural and island areas." | A spokesman said: "We have committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032 - with at least 10% in our remote, rural and island areas." |
| He said £3.5bn funding was being made available in this parliamentary term towards the delivery of affordable homes in Scotland. | He said £3.5bn funding was being made available in this parliamentary term towards the delivery of affordable homes in Scotland. |
| The spokesman added the government was also developing a Remote, Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan, which would be published this spring. | The spokesman added the government was also developing a Remote, Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan, which would be published this spring. |
| All images are copyrighted. | All images are copyrighted. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Housing | Housing |
| Affordable housing | Affordable housing |
| Achiltibuie | Achiltibuie |
| Ullapool | Ullapool |