Why does the Trust buy land?
The Trust buys land on behalf of rural Highland communities to help them meet local needs for: rented housing, to be built by the local Housing Association and/or;
serviced plots, sold at discounted prices, for Rural Home Ownership Grant applicants to build their own homes on.
With Scottish Executive support, the Trust has built up a revolving 'landbanking' fund which it uses to buy suitable sites.
As the Trust sells on the sites or plots it has bought, so the landbanking fund is replenished to allow the Trust to buy further sites in other needy communities. The Trust only buys sites found suitable after thorough feasibility study and value for money assessments. The Trust then effectively holds the land on behalf of the community concerned and will only sell it on for purposes which have been agreed with its Community Council.
Pre-emption right
The Trust attaches a pre-emption right and conditions to each of its Rural Home Ownership Grant plot sales so that, as and when the house built on it is put up for sale, the Trust can buy it back and re-sell it to another Rural Home Ownership Grant - eligible household at a price which is still locally affordable (further guidance available).
Buying houses
Subject to grant funding support, the Trust can occasionally buy a house to meet an urgent community need, e.g. to provide 'stepping stone' housing for incoming key workers or to meet acute care needs.
Finding good sites
With help and advice from local people, Trust staff look for well located and otherwise suitable sites for the affordable housing which the community needs.
Contacting local landowners
Trust staff will then contact and meet with local landowners to discuss whether they are interested in selling a site for affordable housing which the community needs.
Site surveys and feasibility studies
If the landowner is agreeable in principle to releasing the site for affordable housing, the Trust may then commission a site feasibility study to ascertain whether it is economically developable and otherwise suitable for the type of housing required.
Buying the land
If the report is positive, then the Trust will agree an affordable purchase price (often based on a District Valuer valuation, also commissioned by the Trust) with the landowner and get the Trust's solicitor to purchase it on the its behalf.