HIE Network ninth re p o rt 1999-2000 Key activities and outputs 1 : STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES
Strengthening Communities OUR PRIORITIES FOR STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES ARE TO: PROMOTE INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITY ASSETS Community assets include land, the environment and buildings owned, managed or impacted on by the community. By encouraging community-based options for the use of these assets, we can increase the capacity of communities to undertake their own local development. DEVELOP COMMUNITY STRENGTHS AND LEADERSHIP The enthusiasm and internal drive of communities are vital to the development process and we can assist them to acquire leadership skills, to recognise their strengths and to grasp economic opportunities. ENHANCE THE VALUE OF CULTURE AND HERITAGE The distinctive Gaelic, Norse and Scots traditions of the area, together with the natural and man-made heritage, are treasured assets and we can further improve their attractiveness and contribution to development. 8
PARTNERSHIPS BENEFIT COMMUNITIES Partnerships continue to be a key feature of our work. They are essential in rural areas where the success of community activities depends on the efforts of all. By working together, communities and agencies establish more effective links and ensure that projects are more likely to proceed. We are active members of the Highland Wellbeing Alliance with The Highland Council, Scottish Homes, Scottish Natural Heritage, Highland Health Board and Northern Constabulary which prepared the community plan for the Highlands. Our partnerships with the Scottish Museums Council, the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations, the Scottish Arts Council and Comunn na Gaidhlig, help us deliver support to a variety of projects in the culture and heritage sectors, from Gaelic language development to the commercialisation of the region s music industry. The Scottish Executive undertook consultation on a variety of topics during the year. We prepared detailed responses on the national cultural strategy, the review of support for the Gaelic language, land reform legislation and national parks proposals. A major study commissioned by the Scottish Executive into the feasibility of establishing a Highlands and Islands integrated transport authority marks a significant step towards bringing control of transport within the area s boundaries. Lerwick, Shetland:The spectacle of the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race was a showcase for the islands attractions and facilities and generated substantial local spending. TRADITIONS SERVE AREA Community involvement is a key element in social inclusion and government policy. The long tradition of volunteering in Highlands and Islands communities is serving the area well. During the year, HIE contributed to the Government s active communities strategy, the review of Councils of Voluntary Service by the Scottish Executive and the development of community planning and social inclusion policy at local and national levels. We enhanced the effectiveness of our Community Action Grants programme by inaugurating a central challenge fund to which LECs can submit bids to enable them to assist larger projects. Interest in such projects was raised by the Millennium Commission s funding of village halls which has now ceased, leaving many halls with ready-made but unfulfilled plans for improvement. We are keen to assist such large community facilities. Apart from enabling other community activities to proceed, they build a broad range of project management skills into community groups which increases the capacity, self reliance and sustainability of the community. STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES Nairn: LEADER II funding and the Nairn Initiative assisted with the development of the Nexus cyber-café. 9
STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES Golspie, Sutherland: New facilities at Golspie Bowling Club. Through challenge fund awards ranging from 10,000 to 60,000, the Network supported community halls in Tiree, Colonsay, Bernera and Latheron, and a community owned swimming for Lerwick Bridge Club to bring an international event to Shetland and 15,000 to the Grey Coast Theatre company to develop a community play in Caithness and Sutherland. A range of partnerships helped us deliver cultural and heritage development. Our partnership with the Scottish Arts Council funds the arts development group HI Arts, which administers the successful Screen Machine mobile cinema, the increasingly well-known Highland Festival and the music industry development and support project, MIDAS. Along with the Scottish Executive, we help fund Gaelic through Comunn na Gaidhlig (CnaG), the national Gaelic development body. CnaG joined us in making strong submissions to the newly-established Gaelic Task Force which is reviewing the future development arrangements for the language under the Scottish Parliament. In heritage development, HIE and the Scottish Museums Council fund the Highlands and Islands museums officer who has steered innovative research Black Isle: Artist Iain Campbell displays Irish exhibits from the Celtic Links project, which included a tour of Ross-shire using a doubledecker bus as a mobile exhibition venue. Tobermory, Mull: Musicians at the An Tobar community arts centre, an increasingly popular venue on the island. pool in Lochalsh. In all, the Network approved 382 Community Action Grants totalling 1.5 million to projects costing 12.9 million. Each 1 invested by the Network attracted 7.60 from other bodies. Grants included 300 to Skye Beekeepers Club for equipment, 2,150 10
into funding arrangements for the many small independent museums which form the core of museum provision in rural areas. While financial stringency among revenue funders has frustrated implementation of funding arrangements, development of other recommendations such as joint marketing has proceeded. Through a Community Action Grant, HIE assisted a promotional leaflet highlighting the variety of local museums across the area. Further initiatives will include greater monitoring and market research to provide a basis for future developments. INITIATIVE BEARS FRUIT Initiative at the Edge (Iomairt aig an Oir) is now an established, communityled, rural development programme which is bearing fruit in eight pilot areas across the Highlands and Islands. Four are located in the Western Isles: Uig and Bernera on the Isle of Lewis; the Bays of Harris; Lochboisdale in South Uist and Eriskay. The remainder cover the islands of Colonsay in Argyll and Westray and Papa Westray in Orkney, and the mainland areas of Ardnamurchan and North Sutherland. The national co-ordinator of the initiative, Meg Rodger, is based in Harris and the programme has appointed local development officers in most of the initiative areas. A dedicated seedcorn fund, designed to assist communities with the very early stages of set-up costs, proved extremely successful in enabling community groups to take the first steps towards their goals. A similar fund for small business start-ups is being developed. We supported three North Sutherland youth groups with the cost of feasibility studies into youth cafes, research trips and a group mentor. Lochboisdale Sailing Club received assistance towards the cost of Dingwall, Easter Ross: Peter Peacock, Deputy Minister for Children and Education accepts public responses aimed at raising the profile of small independent museums in the Highlands. Colonsay: Video equipment was bought to help primary school pupils with their studies. 11
STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES architectural drawings for the renovation of a building to house its sailing gear. The club will be able to make a further application for help with renovation costs. In Ardnamurchan, we launched a skills development programme with a dedicated project officer who has delivered and continues to progress practical courses such as business and computer training, chainsaw skills, first aid and rhododendron clearing. Work will begin soon on the upgrading of Stockinish pier in the Bays of Harris, which is heavily used by local fishing boats and for recreational pursuits. In Colonsay, the community identified housing and transport as the two issues restricting the regeneration of the island. HIE s Community Land Unit has acquired land for housing and workshop development and a feasibility study is investigating the possibility of establishing air services to the island. The Network approved the final tranches of assistance under the five-year European LEADER II and PESCA programmes in December. Over the duration of the programmes, LEADER II funding supported 1,773 projects with investment of 10.1 million while funds of 3.2 million were approved for 232 PESCA developments. The total value of these projects was over 40 million. Several LEADER groups supported the cost of a Highland golf development officer, a full-time post to co-ordinate research, marketing, training and other golf-related initiatives at golf clubs and tourism businesses. Western Isles, Skye and Lochalsh LEADER group assisted the development of open learning Gaelic tuition. The format will be run as optional modules on degree courses, enabling students to achieve a specific level of fluency. With PESCA support, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory carried out research on the viability of a 42,000 tonne artificial reef complex proposed for Loch Linnhe to enhance, for local benefit, the productivity of the marine environment. The research was vital to reassure the local community and fishing industry and satisfy regulations on biological and environmental impacts. If deployed, the reef would mark a new venture for the Scottish fishing industry. Inverness College s Seafield Centre in Wester Ross received PESCA assistance to create an open learning interactive fish husbandry course for Neil Hammond: Appointed as Highland golf development officer part of the Network s plan to boost local income from the sport. 12
Forres, Moray:The Forres Community Woodlands Trust purchased the Muiry Wood one of 18 projects assisted by the Community Land Unit. delivery on the internet. The course will help overcome the difficulties fish farm staff in remote areas face in attending distant colleges. LAND UNIT ASSISTS 18 PROJECTS HIE s Community Land Unit (CLU) handled over 130 new enquiries and at the end of the year was working with 30 active cases. We offered assistance to 18 projects which included the development of petrol stations by community groups in Jura and Lochaline, sports facilities in Cumbrae as part of the sale of the island, and a woodland near Forres. We helped the Stornoway Trust, one of the longest-standing community landowners, acquire part of the Ministry of Defence land at Stornoway Airport. Start-up and other technical assistance for 29 projects included initial moves towards land acquisition for piers to improve access between Mull and Ulva, a feasibility study for the purchase of woodland in Strathglass, legal advice on establishing crofts at Balmacara, preparations for land acquisition for a heritage centre on Eday and funding for a development officer on Rum. In all these cases, the Community Community Action Grants 1999-2000 Approved Total Average Network No. of grant project contribution cases cost % Argyll & the Islands Enterprise 51 227,915 2,498,290 9.12 Caithness & Sutherland Enterprise 51 196,485 1,062,673 18.49 Inverness & Nairn Enterprise 16 62,259 333,668 18.66 Lochaber Limited 24 164,117 1,690,834 9.71 Moray Badenoch & Strathspey Enterprise 25 102,640 821,033 12.50 Orkney Enterprise 44 61,840 347,870 17.78 Ross & Cromarty Enterprise 43 123,977 930,430 13.32 Shetland Enterprise 23 76,495 748,291 10.22 Skye & Lochalsh Enterprise 19 99,380 536,290 18.53 Western Isles Enterprise 47 274,150 1,815,698 15.10 Pan Highlands & Islands 39 115,932 625,837 18.52 TOTAL 382 1,505,190 11,410,914 13.19 Land Unit continued to work with LECs to support community land groups in the implementation of their business plans. The Orbost rural settlement project on the Isle of Skye progressed with the development of businesses, the identification of areas for smallholdings and the finalisation of leases for three prospective tenant families. We sought planning permission for housing and workshops and to convert the farm managed for HIE by the Scottish Agricultural College to organic production. 13
STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES The land reform debate progressed with the launch at Abriachan of the Scottish Executive s white paper on land reform, to which we submitted a detailed response. social, economic and environmental objectives together. Sustainable development is a key operating principle for the Network which we have applied to our work in Abriachan, Inverness: Launch of the Scottish Executive s white paper on land reform; (left to right): Jim Hunter, chairman, Highlands & Islands Enterprise; Alasdair Morrison, Deputy Minister for the Highlands & Islands and Gaelic; Angus MacKay, Deputy Minister for Justice and Jim Wallace, Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice. The Scottish Land Fund, established as part of the National Lottery s New Opportunities Fund, was formally launched in January. It will distribute 10.78 million to help communities acquire land but will also invest in community land management, training and support. The CLU has submitted a bid to become an award partner to administer the fund. The first applications will be accepted in the late autumn of 2000. NETWORK ENHANCES ENVIRONMENT The Highlands and Islands environment is recognised by the Network to be of outstanding quality and a major competitive advantage for the area. Our activities seek to capitalise on this asset while maintaining and enhancing its quality. The Network has adopted an integrated approach which considers national policy development and partnerships. HIE has played a full role in the development of national parks and led a major partnership initiative to develop a countryside access strategy for the Highlands and Islands. We support the Green Tourism Business Scheme and have assisted the development of an environmental best practice competition for business. The Network is also involved in strategic partnerships such as the Cairngorms Partnership, the Duthchas Project, Initiative at the Edge and the Moray Firth Partnership which are realising added benefits through an integrated approach. With Scottish Natural Heritage, we support an enterprise and environment adviser to aid operational and strategic liaison. 14
TRANSPORT TARGETS KEY ISSUES In pursuing strategic transport issues which aid regional development, HIE contributed funding and advice to the government s major Scottish Airport and Air Services Study, whose findings will be incorporated into UK policy. Key projects for the Highlands and Islands include identifying practical steps towards securing Heathrow slots for the Inverness-London service and commissioning a study into creating an Argyll islands air service based at Oban. Fuel supplies are essential to daily life in rural communities and to enable our tourism industry to flourish. The Rural Petrol Stations Scheme, which HIE operates on behalf of the Scottish Executive, approved assistance of 319,662 to 11 projects. Western Isles Enterprise invested over 45,000 in a new 65,000 petrol station at Leverburgh while Argyll and the Islands Enterprise supported the upgrading of the Millport petrol station, contributing almost 22,000 to the 31,000 project. Shetland Enterprise met half the cost of a 5,000 pump upgrade on Burra Isle. The Scottish Executive has announced an extension to the scheme to help fund the installation costs of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) outlets. Highland Rail Developments a partnership of the HIE Network, local authorities and rail companies achieved substantial improvements in freight, passenger and heritage rail services. These included the introduction of a daily transmodal, temperature-controlled rail freight delivery to Safeway in Inverness the first of its kind in the UK. HRD also developed a case for the reopening of Beauly Station for passenger services. We are considering proposals to advance the principles of short crossings, specialised vessels and a new regulatory regime outlined in our paper Ferry Futures. One exciting prospect identified during the year, for which we helped fund a concept feasibility study, was a proposed transatlantic container hub for Orkney. Oban, Argyll: Pilot Bob Swainston and researcher Paul Keegan check out the results of a study into a Colonsay and Argyll islands air service. Kerrera, Argyll: Skipper Duncan MacEachan purchased a larger ferry for the safer transportation of school children. Yell, Shetland: Robert Jamieson with the old fuel pumps due to be replaced at Cullivoe on the island of Yell under the Rural Petrol Stations Scheme. 15