Rural Housing Service Conference 2009

The Rural Housing Service Conference took place 26/27 February, and Presentations* from the Conference Speakers (if available) are highlighted in green.

*Please note that these are PowerPoint Presentations which means the files are very large. Rather than opening them in your browser, it might be better to right click on the item and select "save target as" to download the files to an accessible folder for viewing.

New Times, New HAG, New Finance	Gordon Campbell, Head of Social Housing, Dunfermline Building Society Aidan Grisewood, Director, Social Housing Division, Scottish Government Peter MacDonald, Operations Director, Fyne Homes
Homes in the Forest	Ian Hepburn, North West Mull Community Woodland Co. NWMCWC intend to develop houses for rent through the Rural Homes for Rent on land they acquired through the National Forest Land Scheme. They are also making plots available for local people to build their own homes with Rural Home Ownership and open market plots. Ian Hepburn outlined the community’s plans, how they have reached this stage and how they plan to build, manage and finance this housing development. www.nwmullwoodland.co.uk
The Scottish National Rural Network	Angela Wiseman, The Scottish Government The Scottish National Rural Network will be one of four UK country networks linked together at UK level. It will have three main elements - a national event, regional stakeholder groups and a website with social networking tools. The network aims to • build a common understanding of the key issues for rural development; • begin a dialogue about these issues; and • help with the exchange of good practice. A strong network has considerable potential to drive and inform rural development. www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/content/thenationalruralnetworks
Local Occupancy Controls panacea or panic measure?	Dr. Madhu Satsangi, University of Stirling Occupancy restrictions have been highlighted as a method of ensuring that 'local people' aren't frozen out of pressured rural housing markets. Madhu has recently completed research for the Scottish Government on the potential use of occupancy restrictions in Scotland, drawing on international comparisons. He outlined his findings in this session.
Community Energy Scotland	Nicholas Gubbins, Community Energy Scotland Community Energy Scotland exists to support communities develop community based renewables. Originally operating in the Highlands & Islands, CES now has a Scotland wide remit. This workshop will outline their work, and the potential for community groups and others to use their expertise to help put renewables into affordable housing development. www.communityenergyscotland.org.uk
SCR Learning Networks	Paul Ballantyne & Geraldine McAteer, Scottish Centre for Regeneration Learning Networks are places where a group of people who share a concern, a set of problems or a passion about a topic can deepen their knowledge or expertise by interacting on a ongoing basis. This workshop will highlight the role of Learning Networks in bringing people together to support rural development and regeneration. www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/regeneration/scr
Scotland’s Housing Expo Highland Housing Fair	Fiona Porteous, Project Manager The Highlands of Scotland is staging a major housing fair in 2010 to showcase the best of house building design and technology - the first of its kind to be held in Scotland. The keynote of the event is sustainability and it aims to motivate house builders and buyers to make environmentally friendly decisions when it comes to choosing a home. The event will be a catalyst for positive change in the whole area of urban and rural planning, and features homes designed by the winning architects, builders and suppliers who took part in a prestigious competition held in 2007. www.scotlandshousingexpo.com
Rural Housing Enablers – policy and action	Mark Bevan, Centre for Housing Policy, University of York Emma Binns & Kim Siu (Presentation Part 1, Part 2) Rural Housing Enablers, Rural Housing Service