Housing to 2040: island communities impact assessment

Introduction

Section 7 of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 ("the 2018 Act")[i] places a duty on the Scottish Ministers and other relevant authorities, including a number of public authorities, to have regard to island communities in exercising their functions, and for the Scottish Ministers this will also include the development of legislation. This duty is often referred to as ‘island-proofing’. A related section duty under section 8 of the 2018 Act requires an Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) to be undertaken by relevant authorities where a policy, strategy or service is “likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from its effect on other communities (including other island communities)”.

This document describes how we have had regard to island communities in developing Housing to 2040, Scotland’s first ever long-term national housing strategy with a vision for what we want housing to look like and provide to the people of Scotland, no matter where they live and what point in their life they are in. It is also an important source of material to inform the future development and delivery of specific policies within the route map.

It sets out available evidence across the wide range of policy areas related to housing and Housing to 2040, including evidence gathered as part of the Housing to 2040 stakeholder engagement, public consultation and the travelling exhibition ‘Present Voices, Future Lives’.

For the purpose of Housing to 2040, we have used the 2018 Act definition of island communities as:

• Consisting of two or more individuals, all of whom permanently inhabit an island (whether or not the same island), and
• Based on common interest, identity or geography (including in relation to any uninhabited island whose natural environment and terrestrial, marine and associated ecosystems contribute to the natural or cultural heritage or economy of an inhabited island).

In conducting this assessment, we are also supporting our commitment within the National Islands Plan to “ensure that Housing to 2040 truly reflects the distinct needs of island communities".