Case Study: Spittalfield, Perthshire

Partners: · 12 Local Families · Perth Housing Services Ltd · Perth Housing Association · East Perthshire Housing Association · Scottish Homes · Dunfermline Building Society · Kerr Duncan McAllister Architects · Muir Construction Ltd · Allen Gordon & Co · McBains Cormack     Background The Initiative The Development

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-Map service, with permission from Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

Spittalfield village store

Background The village of Spittalfield is situated in Perthshire between Dunkeld and Blairgowrie, and approximately 16 miles from Perth. The village has a shop & post office, a garage and a pub. The local primary school is located in Glendelvine a mile outside the village and is shared with the neighbouring village of Caputh. The school roll is 48. The Initiative The Spittalfield initiative is a story about local people with a common problem working together to try to find a decent home without leaving their rural roots. It is a story about people determined to have a say and stake in the future of their village.

In early 1983, the village mechanic approached Scottish Homes to enquire about a grant to build an individual home. Heartened by the news that a Rural Home Ownership Grant may be available, he mentioned this to a friend. Before long, 12 local households, all of who were living in poor and expensive housing had requested information about RHOGs.

Information on how to apply for a Rural Home Ownership Grant is available from Scottish Homes

The households decided that by pooling together they could reduce the cost of building the houses. Individually they would need their own builder and architect. By working together they could generate greater economies of scale by letting the contract to one architect and one builder as a 12-house contract. At the same time each family would still be able to have a significant input in the design of their homes. The cost of infrastructure like road access, sewerage and drainage was also shared between 12. The other reason for developing together was that they would be able to buy a large site on the edge of the village on which to develop the houses- individual house plots were much more difficult to find. The interest from so many villagers in RHOGs was in part due to a local estate imposing immediate rent rises of 300-400% on its tenants.

Of the 12 applicants, 6 were renting from Glendelvine Estate and one from Murthly and Strathbraan Estate. One was on a very insecure short assured tenancy, Two were living with parents and the other was living c/o. 11 of the 12 applicants were either young couples or couples with young families.