Community ownership: case studies

The Findhorn Village Conservation Company  

Asset: Novar estates land - 4149 acres, near Findhorn, Moray, acquired in 2016

Scottish Land Fund award: Jo Harris, Secretary, Findhorn Village Conservation Co findhornvcc@gmail.com

Projects and activities:

Current: Acquisition and improvements to Armstrong garages site, Seaforth Lane, for improvement/redevelopment and leasing to local small businesses, workshops etc.

Housing survey carried out and results analysed to inform future development proposals

Ongoing/in development:

Economic

• Wayleave and lease renegotiations
• Car parking fees
• Motor home site
• Concessions
• Allotments
• Rental from foreshore access
• Camping facilities
• Garages
• Business workspaces
• Beach huts
• Renewable energy project
• Joint commercial projects

Environmental

• Volunteer groups/work parties
• Environmental survey work
• By laws for the intertidal area
• Interpretation
• Habitat/access projects
• Education facility, wildlife watching
• Climate change projects
• Ecosystem services

Amenity

• Village masterplan
• Signage and interpretation
• Promenade improvements
• Entry point
• Village maintenance regime
• Coastal protection

Demographic

• Community events
• Friends group
• Heritage recording
• Play areas
• Day care
• Minor ailments surgery
• Housing

Assets 

900 hectares of Amenity land in and surrounding Findhorn Village

0.1 hectare Armstrong Garage Site (previously known as Linksview Garage site) 

Main successes so far

The acquisition of the residual estate owned land in 2016 and the purchase of the Armstrong Garages in 2018, lying close to the Findhorn Village Centre and Church.

The village has pulled together to support these acquisitions and give their time to consultation including a feasibility study, options appraisal, housing and workshop survey, planning for real and all our public meetings have been really well attended, since the inception of the Company in 2011.  We are now at the stage of project planning and implementation.

We have also had financial support from our members when asked, initially for the land, and this year small interest free loans for the shortfall in funding for the Garage Site (to be repaid in 5 years), we reached our target and repaid the Social Investment Scotland bank loan in full (SIS interest rate was 8%). 

…..and challenges

The Findhorn Village Conservation Company Board has missed out on the funds for a development officer in the past having done various applications.  We were told this was because we owned land rather than buildings. 

As a result the Board find themselves with a large work load and feel stretched without the resources to organise volunteers, we now laugh at being offered an unlimited number of free training courses for third sector support, all run by paid organisations, we do not have the time to attend. We already put into the company a lot of hours each month, and attend many meetings.

Now we own the Garage Site we have been given the funds to employ a part time development officer for 2 years. 

Advice for groups thinking of taking on land assets.

We told our members when we bought the land that we would not act in haste and were given this advice by another community company who had sold land early on and regretted the decision later. In our early years before we owned any land, board members did have time to visit other communities and this was really useful. Also attending Community Land Scotland AGM and hearing other stories and advice, was invaluable research.

We are aware of setting precedents that we might not want to honour in the future. Our main expenditure has been our solicitor’s advice, and has been a large drain on our finances, dealing with historical issues we inherited with the land.  We were lucky to have had a small fund for this from our members.