On 8 Feb, as part of our 2024 #SIFAGM we had Rhoda Meek, Chair of Tiree Development Trust and Managing Director of Isle Develop along to present her recent Tiree Housing Study.
Rhoda gathered fellow islanders, the local estate agent and broadband providers and together they sat down and mapped out their knowledge of house owners and occupiers. The result: a fairly accurate map showing private owners, long term lets and short term holiday accomodation- owned by either islanders or those on mainland.
Rhoda also spoke about Tiree Development Trust’s Action plan to address this housing issue, speaking of the potential for building a housing development,( the trust having gained funding for a feasibility study for this) putting existing empty homes back into use or appeal to people’s better nature to put their second homes up for rental or sale.
Their objective: to help the township lights on.
Rhoda then moved on to discuss the amount of money generated from the holiday lets in Tiree, only a tiny 16% actually owned by residents of the island.
Approx figure based on £700 a week and booked out throughout the whole season
Rhoda pointed out this figure is more than their wind turbine generates and the benefit an extra 1.5m would bring to the Tiree economy, instead it is trickling out of Tiree to the mainland owners.
