RURAL Scotland could be transformed into a modern, vibrant economy, but instead faces a crisis in the making. The reason is a lack of affordable housing.

Soon there may be no “next generation” to grow the economy, to provide children for the schools or to care for the elderly. The last 10 years has seen a dramatic drop in pupil numbers in our most rural schools with further falls, and school closures, forecast. The Government must acknowledge that the current initiatives to provide affordable housing are failing – the situation is getting worse.

House prices are well beyond the reach of the young. Building your own home is almost impossible – construction costs have rocketed and in some areas building plot prices have increased by 1000 per cent increases over the last 20 years. There are few suitable houses to rent, with most social housing concentrated in towns. Existing government policy is exacerbating this situation with unrealistic thresholds for house prices, poor service infrastructure in remote areas and building regulation changes that push up costs.

The result is emigration with, for example, the young of Lewis moving to Stornoway or leaving the island – depriving the crofting townships of their talents, closing schools and sounding a death knell for Gaelic.

But, unlike in the past, there is a real chance for economic regeneration. High-end tourism, renewables and the IT revolution mean that businesses could flourish and jobs and wealth be created. Young people want to stay and many want to return or move to rural Scotland. The challenge to the Government is to help make this happen. We, the undersigned, would urge the Scottish Government to recognise this crisis, to commit to urgently address it, and that the following be considered: · lThe Government works with communities to set out a strategic vision of a repopulated, economically vibrant rural Scotland and enacts a strategy and policies across departments focused on making this vision a reality.

  • Local communities are empowered to help deliver this vision.
  • The tax system and planning system work for communities, encouraging sustainable development and economic growth.
  • Crown Estate revenue should go to local communities.
  • Government delivers future-proofed high-speed broadband connectivity to every home.
  • Renewables and subsidies benefit communities and industry, not absentee landlords or offshore companies.
  • Land is made available for affordable housing in rural Scotland by compulsory purchase and bold land reform.
  • Increased infrastructure investment to allow these communities to be economically sustainable lNew industries, such as cross laminated timber manufacture, are set up by government, supporting current industries such as forestry.
  • Public service jobs are, where possible, based in our economically fragile rural areas Rural Scotland needs the help of the Scottish Government to ensure its future is one of a healthy population, thriving industry and a sustainable economy where young people have a chance to show what they can do to invest their time, energy and talent into a place they would like to call home.

It is the responsibility of all of us to give them this opportunity, but without vision, and without leadership, it will not happen.  The First Minister of Scotland has a duty to act.

Matt Stevenson, Carbon Dynamics; Neil Sutherland, Makar; Alasdair Stephen, Dualchas Architects; Alan Dickson, Rural Design; Malcolm Fraser, Halliday Fraser Munro; Prof Jim Hunter, University of the Highland and Islands; Peter Wilson, Timber Design Initiatives Ltd;Graham Hogg, Lateral North; Calum Macleod Academic, University of Edinburgh; David Blaikie, David Blaikie Architects; Neil Stephen, Dualchas Architects; Roland Stiven, Confor; Elgar Finlay, Elgar Finlay Ltd; Kieran Gaffney, Konishi Gaffney Architects; Andrew Marshall, 3DReid Architects; Anna Wynne, Bear Architecture; Tom Smith, Lateral North; Jill Andrews, Jill Andrews Architects; Ruaraidh Flynn, Dualchas Architects; Alex Hobday, Anderson, Bell +Christie; David Wilson, Room Architects; Dr Dorian Wiszniewski, University of Edinburgh; Stuart Graham, senior architect, John Devlin, DTA Chartered Architects; Megan Ward, Keppie Design; Gary Paterson, G Paterson Architect Ltd;  Colin Baillie, Hoskins Architects; Philip McLean, Philip McLean Architect, Stornoway; Martin Baillie, Hoskins Architects;Niall Andereson, Part II architectural assistant

YOUR story about a Jobcentre building being given planning permission for flats nine months before its closure was announced (Jobcentre flats plan approved before axe, The National, December 21) left me astounded.  With how many other Jobcentres in Glasgow has the decision been taken well before now? There is also the matter of the staff affected, and how they will get to their new place of work, and the distances claimants will have to travel to other Jobcentres.  The UK Government should come clean on when these closure decisions were made.  K McMaster  Paisley THE awarding of £9.1 million of Lottery money to help establish an exhibition centre at Silverstone showcasing motor sport past present and future neatly illustrates the lack of awareness of those who distribute the funding Why has this not been paid for by Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One fraternity which is awash in money? Or why doesn’t the motor industry, a £9 billion industry in the UK, meet the cost? Typically, the public, most of whom couldn’t give a checkered flag for the sport have not been asked for their views, essentially because, I surmise, they wouldn’t offer a penny for this rich man’s recreation. Nor some of the other projects that attract Lottery funding.

Since its inception, the Lottery has been a conduit for supporting dressed-up arts or heritage projects that most of the public would not voluntarily donate towards. In this age of austerity, there are infinitely more needy cases. For every motor museum there are a hundred food banks where money could be better spent, a thousand disabled people having their benefits cut, a million JAM families. The public must be given a say in how funding is distributed.
James Mills
Johnstone