Home is where the heart is - support for community housing
Contin Community Trust received an award of £5,280 from the EDF Renewables Corriemoillie Wind Farm Community Fund for an affordable housing feasibility study.
The fund was established in 2016 and supports not-for-profit groups providing charitable activities that benefit people living in the Contin Community Council area, including Jamestown and Tarvie.
The Contin Community Trust is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee which owns and operates the Community Hall in Contin. The Trust also owns the former school buildings and schoolhouse, which are on the same site.
Contin School has been closed for over 10 years, and children now attend primary school in Strathpeffer. Until recently, the schoolhouse was rented out to a family but the school building currently lies empty and is in need of renovation before it can be rented out again.
The Contin Community Trust is investigating the feasibility of developing affordable housing on the site to address a local need and improve what is currently a fairly derelict space.
The Contin Community Trust successfully applied for funding and was awarded £5,280 in August 2024 to contribute to the cost of this feasibility study.
Contin Community Trust volunteers are working in partnership with the Communities Housing Trust, which can provide expertise and support with this project. The Communities Housing Trust regularly works in partnership with a variety of public and private stakeholders to provide affordable housing and accompanying infrastructure to support the social and economic well-being of local and rural communities, having worked on more than 120 community-led construction projects to date.
They also offer related services such as support with acquiring land, undertaking community consultations and securing funding for builds.
Working together, they will determine the feasibility of developing the former school and its surrounding land into affordable housing to bring the school building back into community use, address local housing needs and protect the community's cultural heritage.
Feasibility funding will be required to develop a viable scheme, including options and site appraisal analysis, community consultation, business planning, design work, planning approval and Building Warrant up to the pre-construction stage.
Funds in this development phase will be required for architectural and engineering services, project management and planning fees, and the award from this fund will relate specifically to project management support costs.
Developing a community housing scheme is a complex project, and the local volunteers will need professional support and expertise to help them deliver and manage this project.
This project will potentially have a high impact on the local community. It could provide affordable, energy-efficient housing for local families and retain residents in the community. It addresses the issue of the derelict school buildings and puts the site to good use. It could also generate income for the local Trust, helping to sustain other projects such as the community hall.
Recommendations on awards are made by a Panel of local representatives drawn from the Contin area, and the panel is supported by Foundation Scotland.
Due to the significant potential impact of the project, the Panel decided to award more than the usual maximum amount and they provided feedback to the group that they could reapply for further funds as necessary.
Read more about the EDF Renewables Corriemoillie Wind Farm Community Fund for Contin.