National Islands Plan Annual Report 2022

Housing

Strategic Objective 4 – To improve housing

We committed to ensure that Housing to 2040 truly reflects the distinct needs of island communities.

Commitment Fulfilled

This commitment was fulfilled in 2020. Please see the National Island Plan 2021 Annual Report for further details.

We committed to ensure that the regulation of short term lets takes account of the unique circumstances of island communities and make special provision for them where required.

Implementation Route Map action

Short-term lets licensing scheme will deliver national consistency on safety standards, and autonomy for local authorities to add further conditions in response to local needs and concerns. We consider that the legislation is appropriate for the whole of Scotland, including island and rural communities, and offers considerable flexibility to local authorities on how it is implemented.

Work is ongoing in relation to this commitment.

Licensing schemes opened in October 2022, and new hosts must now apply for, and obtain, a licence before accepting bookings or receiving guests. In recognition of the wider cost of living crisis that is placing pressure on existing short term let hosts and businesses, we have announced that we will introduce legislation in January 2023 to extend the deadline for existing hosts to apply for a licence from 1 April 2023 to 1 October 2023. This will give businesses more time to spread the cost of the licence fee, and any necessary work to secure compliance with mandatory conditions. Additional time will also assist those businesses who are facing difficulties in procuring contractors to carry out necessary work such as gas safety checks, and energy performance assessments to obtain an EPC (particularly in rural and island areas).

We committed to review levels of short term let activity in summer 2023. The extension to the transition period for existing hosts until October 2023 will mean this review will take place in early 2024. This will assess how the actions we are taking are working and whether any further measures are required. This review will also seek to confirm that the wider sector is still healthy and checking there are no unintended consequences.

We committed to explore how the Rural and Islands Housing Fund might be adapted in the future to expand the range of options to support housing development in remote and island communities.

Commitment Fulfilled

This commitment was fulfilled in 2020. Please see the National Island Plan 2021 Annual Report for further details.

We committed to continue to provide grants to crofters to build and improve croft houses.

Commitment Fulfilled

This commitment was fulfilled in 2020. Please see the National Islands Plan Annual Report 2020 for further details.

We committed to make best use of all housing stock including derelict properties and options for compulsory purchase.

Implementation Route Map action

Through Housing to 2040 we have committed to take a range of actions to help bring empty homes back into use.

Work is ongoing in relation to this commitment.

Tackling empty homes remains a priority for Scottish Government. We continue to fund the work of the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership which has helped to bring more than 8,000 privately owned homes back into use since 2010. Research is currently underway to gather evidence on the scale of the problem, the effectiveness of current interventions and views to help shape future policy including any funding schemes.

We committed to improve access to homes for people looking to settle in, or return to, island communities. In collaboration with local authorities and relevant stakeholders, we will examine the full range of options to do this, making best use of our existing homes and new supply.

Implementation Route Map action

• Through Housing to 2040 we have committed to take action so that rural and island communities have access to high-quality, affordable and market housing which has been planned alongside the economic and physical infrastructure and helps people to live, work and thrive – and we will help to stem rural depopulation.
• Since publication of Housing to 2040, the Scottish Government has made a commitment to develop a Remote, Rural & Islands Housing Action Plan to meet the housing needs of, and retain and attract people to, those communities.

Work is ongoing in relation to this commitment.

In February 2023, National Planning Framework 4 was adopted and published by the Scottish Government. Specifically for rural areas, a new national planning policy on Rural Homes promotes development, ensuring the needs of people and communities are met in a sustainable way, in the right locations. The Rural Homes policy sets out the circumstances in which new homes in rural areas will be supported, and also that local development plans will be informed by population change, setting out tailored approaches to rural housing and recognising some differing needs in remote rural areas.

The Programme for Government 2022-23 makes clear we are committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 of which at least 70% will be available for social rent and 10% will be in our remote, rural and island communities.

We aim to publish the Remote, Rural and Island Housing Action Plan in Spring 2023 and in December 2022, the Cabinet Secretary wrote to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee to provide an update on priority work strands.

We committed to ensure that the impact on Gaelic-speaking communities is considered as housing policies are developed.

Implementation Route Map action

It is expected that Local Housing Strategies will evidence how the development of outcomes have been influenced by community engagement and consultation to deliver national priorities, plans and targets, and how the Place Principle is being used to deliver change within communities and achieve desired outcomes.

Work is ongoing in relation to this commitment.

Scottish Government Gaelic team, Bòrd na Gàidhlig and others have regularly suggested that the impact of island housing policies and developments on communities with significant numbers of Gaelic speakers should be a key consideration. The Short Life Working Group on Gaelic and the Economy, set up by ministers will also consider housing as a key priority in areas where Gaelic is spoken.