The Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) has provisionally welcomed a review of the Croft House Grant Scheme (CHGS) as long over-due but questions whether proposals go far enough to restore the scheme to its original efficacy.
SCF Chair Fiona Mandeville said, "We have been pressing for some years for the rates of grant to be reviewed as they have long since fallen well behind actual costs faced by crofters building new homes on their crofts. In the ten years since the current rates were introduced, they have not been raised in line with escalating material costs. This has made it very difficult for many crofters, particularly the younger ones whom we all want to encourage, to have a home on the croft. There also used to be a government loan available which facilitated building. Despite a parliamentary committee recommending the reinstatement of the loan element, Scottish Government has flatly refused to consider it."
