Rural Housing Service Annual Conference 2009

 

The Rural Housing Service Conference took place 26/27 February, and Presentations from the Conference Speakers can be found here

The influential event, the largest of its kind in Scotland, focused on how we deliver affordable rural housing in a time of constraint in funding from government and finance from the private sector. Gordon Campbell, Head of Social Housing at Dunfermline Building Society outlined some new ideas in housing finance whilst Peter MacDonald, Operations Director of Fyne Homes and Aidan Grisewood, Director - Social Housing Division, Scottish Government, discussed whether affordable rural housing development is still possible under the new grant regime. Dr Mark Bevan of the University of York outlined the findings of his review of the work of Rural Housing Enablers and two Enablers highlighted their role in delivering affordable rural housing in Scotland.

The workshop sessions included a look at the use of local occupancy restrictions to give priority to local people; plans from North West Mull Community Woodlands Company to build houses for rent and sale in the local forest; support from Community Energy Scotland for local renewable energy projects; the Scottish Government proposals to establish a National Rural Network to bring rural communities together; details of the Highland Housing Fair, Scotland's Housing Expo; and plans to establish Learning Networks to improve regeneration policy.