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What areas are the Grants and the Entrants Scheme available in?
These are only available in crofting areas. Crofting areas do not cover all of the Highlands.
The Croft House Grant Scheme (CHGS)
Registered crofters have access to a unique scheme of grants to assist them with the costs of building a new croft house or improving an existing croft. The scheme is called the Croft House Grant Scheme and is administered by The Scottish Executive, Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD). It replaced the Crofters’ Building Grants and Loans Scheme (CBGLS) with effect from 1 January 2005.
Grants are available to help crofters build new homes or improve existing croft houses. The scheme is geographically targeted with three levels of grant determined by priority areas.
Who can apply?
You may be eligible to apply if:
- you are a crofting tenant, or
- you were a crofting tenant but bought your croft within the last 7 years
Grants are discretionary, so there is no guarantee that you will receive one.
You should be aware that:
- Expenditure on preparing plans, obtaining planning permission, consents etc, is the responsibility of the applicant.
- If work is started before the Scottish Executive gives written approval, assistance will not be given.
- If you are receiving grant from another public source for this project then you are not eligible for CHGS assistance.
What are the Grant Levels?
The Highland Area has all three priority areas within its boundaries e.g. High, Standard and Low.
The grant rates for a new house are:
High - £22,000
Standard - £17,000
Low - £11,500
The Rebuilding and Improvement Grant provides assistance levels similar to those for new housing and with similar geographic targeting. The rates for Rebuild and Improvement Grants are:
High - 40% of costs up to a maximum of £22,000
Standard - 30% of costs up to a maximum of £17,000
Low - 20% of costs up to a maximum of £11,500
An electronic version of the priority map in Adobe® PDF format is available from the Crofters Commission website - see "External Links".
A list of priority areas defined by postcode will shortly be available on the Crofters Commission Website.
What if I applied under the old scheme (Crofters' Building Grants & Loans)?
Although the new scheme no longer offers loans, existing loans provided under CBGLS are not affected.
How do I apply?
To get an application form, contact:
The Croft House Grant Scheme
The Business Centre (Unit 3)
Crossapol
Isle of Tiree PA77 6UP
Tel: 01879 220 240 Fax: 01879 220 249
You can also download an application form from the Scottish Executive website. See "External Links"
The forms are also available from the following area offices:
SEERAD
Strathbeg House
Clarence Street
THURSO
KW14 7JS
Tel: 01847-893104
SEERAD
Longman House
28 Longman Road
INVERNESS
IV1 1SF
Tel: 01463-234141
SEERAD
Estates Office
PORTREE
Isle of Skye
IV51 9DH
Tel: 01478-612516
SEERAD
Cameron House
Albany Street
OBAN
PA34 4AE
Tel: 01631-563071
SEERAD
10 Keith Street
STORNOWAY
Isle of Lewis
HS1 2QG
Tel: 01851-702392
SEERAD
Ord Croft
LAIRG
Sutherland
IV27 4AZ
Tel: 01549-402167
General information about the Croft House Grant Scheme can be obtained from the Crofters Commission web site. See "External Links".
The Highlands & Islands Croft Entrant Scheme
What is the Highland & Islands Croft Entrant Scheme?
The Highlands and Islands Croft Entrant Scheme (HICES) encourages inactive crofters to release crofts to young people and provides practical and financial support for young people to remain part of or join a crofting community. HICES is jointly funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Crofters Commission. It is administered by the Commission and is available across the whole of the Crofting Counties, having replaced the various local Croft Entrant Schemes. In the Argyll area, it is jointly funded with Argyll and Bute Council.
How do I apply?
The Crofters Commission holds the details of potential entrants on a demand list. Interested entrants complete a demand form, which is submitted for approval by the Commission. You can download the form here. The demand list is available to anyone interested in assigning his/her croft through HICES.
Who is eligible?
Potential entrants have to:
- be aged between 18 and 40
- be entered on the Crofters Commission List of Demand
- not previously have been the tenant or owner of a registered croft
- not have a wife/husband/partner who is currently a tenant or owner of a registered croft
- find a suitable croft and submit a fully costed development plan for approval by the Highland and Islands Croft Entrant Scheme Partnership
- be acceptable to the Crofters Commission if the transfer of tenancy is a non-family assignation (in the case of a family assignation the approval of the landlord is necessary)
- take up residence on the croft within the period of the plan
- agree to undertake a training needs analysis.
In all cases including family assignations, proposals for entry to the scheme must be submitted to the Crofters Commission prior to the croft being assigned.
A new entrant may require to build a house on the croft. Tenants of registered crofts may be eligible for the Croft Housing Grant (see above). For further information contact the Crofters Commission:
Crofters Commission
Castle Wynd
INVERNESS IV2 3EQ
Tel: (01463) 663450
Fax: (01463) 711820
Email: info@crofterscommission.org.uk
Scheme Project Officer (SPO)
Once a croft has been identified, the area SPO will assist both the outgoer and ingoer with the HICES application process.
The Area SPOs are as follows:
Argyll & Islands
Billy Neilson
27 Cruachan Cottages
Taynuilt
Argyll
PA35 1JG
Tel: 01866 822106
Skye & Lochalsh and part Lochaber
Colin MacDonald Aultmhor
Glenelg by Kyle
Ross-shire
IV40 8LA
Tel: 01599 522719
Caithness, Sutherland & Orkney
Sandy Murray
Achiemore
Forsinard
Sutherland
KW13 6XT
Tel: 01641 571219
Fax: 01641 571273
Ross & Cromarty and Badenoch & Strathspey
Finlay Matheson
Arinackaig
Strathcarron
Ross-shire
IV54 8YN Tel:
01520 722666
More information about crofting is available on The Crofters Commission website: www.crofterscommission.org.uk