Made up of representation from across the Estate, the new company will take the buyout process forward to the point of purchase, at which point full elections will be held to create a democratic and accountable board which will take the community estate on to its next phase.You can find a list of the current interim board members here.
Current developments follow the decisive vote in favour of the community buy-out, which was held in September 2022. This recorded a vote in favour across the community of 63% on a turnout of 70%. It followed a decade of hard work by a buyout steering group, which had commissioned a feasibility study, business plan, two valuations and had met with the current Estate owners on a number of occasions.
The newly formed company is currently working with the Scottish Land Fund, the Scottish Government’s Community Land Unit, HIE and a firm of lawyers. Bays of Harris Community Estate Ltd was incorporated in July 2023. A new valuation of the estate will be carried out late 2023/early 2024 and dialogue will continue with the current landlord.
95% of the purchase price, up to a maximum of £1m, is expected to be financed by the Scottish Land Fund. Once the purchase has been concluded, the community will be able to take advantage of the opportunities identified in the feasibility studies. These include an annual income of around £100,000, which can be directed towards the community’s priorities, rather than being reserved for private gain.
“I am delighted at the progress which we have been able to make recently,” says Euan Galloway, Chair of the Bays of Harris Community Estate. “The work that we are carrying out just now opens the door for an exciting new phase of community development, enterprise and renewal, which will be made possible once land ownership is in the hands of the community. I really believe that day is not too far away now!”
The community company is working very hard to ensure full and proper representation for all residents in all areas of the Estate, while recognising there are a number of challenges to achieving this, due to the unusual geography of the Estate, which comprises two non-contiguous areas of Harris and the totally separate Isle of Berneray.
“In order to bring people along with us on this exciting journey and to maximise our engagement with the community, we have a number of initiatives in the pipeline for the near future,” says Euan Galloway. “These will include giving residents of the Estate area the opportunity to join the company as members. We are also planning a series of public engagement sessions which will be held throughout the Estate in the coming weeks, as well as local newsletters and social media.”