EKCC Affordable Housing Project

Background

East Kintyre is a remote rural community, presently home to ~ 900 permanent residents, with the majority of these residing in, or near, Carradale. Our community is supported by:

• A harbour (home to a small fishing fleet & servicing a fish farm)

•  A school (currently housing 13 pupils ages 4 -12)

• A community-run store & post office 

• A GP surgery 

• 3 Café’s/Tea shops and a rudimentary ‘Visitor Centre’

• A church

• Restaurant/hotels/guest houses (open to non-residents)

• A golf course

• 2 Village Halls

• A hairdresser, a gin school/distillery and a dog groomer

• Holiday homes/rentals and 2 caravan/mobile home sites

• Plus several non-amenity related businesses

We all want Carradale to remain a vibrant community that is a desirable and safe place to live.  As you will be well aware, over the past half-century the school register has dwindled from 50+ to its current tally of 13 pupils, fishing operations have shrunk (as elsewhere on the west coast), many family members have moved away from the area to find work etc. and local amenities (incl. bakery, pub, restaurants and hotels/guest houses) have either closed or their futures are uncertain. The growth of those businesses that survive is tempered by their difficulties to recruit and retain staff. Moreover, tradespeople must more-often-than-not be sourced from far away and there are dwindling amenities to attract & service tourists/visitors to the area. 

Since we are a rapidly-ageing population, with ~50% of the local population over the age of 60, and less than 15% of the population below the age of 25, we are exploring various measures to ensure Carradale thrives into the future as the community it is.  As part of this exercise, we would like to assess whether there is a need for more housing for young people/families/tradespeople in the village and/or there is need for specialist or improved/more suitable housing for those of us who already live here and if so, what form of housing YOU think is needed. And, if it is needed, where you would prefer for that housing to be situated.

The results of the survey that follows will help us to plan for the future.