New Venture To Safeguard Unst Partnership's Future

21st June 2018

Britain's most northerly community is to become the first to benefit from acquiring a publicly owned asset from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) through an Asset Transfer under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.

The Unst Partnership will purchase and refurbish the building it currently leases from HIE and create a recycling facility and second-hand shop as well as a new part-time post to help run it.

The community group which is operated by volunteers is located on the island of Unst in Shetland and is the first organisation to apply for an Asset Transfer Request from HIE.

Communities have a right to make the request as set out in the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 which came into force in January 2017. The Act makes it easier for communities in Scotland to take over land or buildings that are currently in public ownership.

Communities can ask to buy or lease the assets or have other rights such as to occupy or use them for a specific purpose while clearly benefiting the community it represents.

The Unst Partnership was set up in 2000 to regenerate the island of Unst following the closure of Unst Airport and the Ministry of Defence's decision to scale down operations at RAF Saxa Vord.

The group will buy its current premises at Hagdale in Baltasound and create a dedicated recycling service which will be the first on Unst. A planned second-hand shop will also be owned and operated by members of the Unst community and the facility will also be used as the base for the organisation.

In March this year, the Unst Partnership was successful in receiving a Scottish Land Fund award of £38,469 to help them purchase the building and develop it.

HIE has agreed to sell the building to the Unst Partnership for £18,000, £5,000 less than the market valuation, in recognition of the additional community benefits the transfer delivers.

Rachel Hunter, area manager at HIE, said: "We have worked with the Unst Partnership for many years and we are delighted to support them to purchase the building. Ownership will allow them to invest in the building to provide new services to the community, generate income and reduce its overheads which will improve the organisation's long-term sustainability.

"Ownership of the building will also give the group a stronger asset base to help safeguard other projects it supports including community allotments, a trailer-hire service and tourism initiatives such as signage for walking routes and a community skip scheme. The recycling service would complement the skip service and make use of household and commercial waste from across the island. We wish them all the very best in this venture and look forward to working with them in the future."

Gordon Thomson, Chairman of Unst Partnership, said: "We're glad our asset transfer request is going ahead and we will also be able to use our Scottish Land Fund award. We are looking forward to owning our own premises and getting on with developing the new service. There's already been a great response from the community, with lots of goods donated."

About Unst

Unst is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is the northernmost of the inhabited British Isles and is the third largest island in Shetland after the Mainland and Yell. It has an area of 46 square miles (120 km2).

Unst is largely grassland, with coastal cliffs. Its main village is Baltasound, formerly the second largest herring fishing port after Lerwick and now the location of a leisure centre and the island's airport. Other settlements include Uyeasound, home to Greenwell's Booth (a Hanseatic warehouse) and Muness Castle (built in 1598 and sacked by pirates in 1627); and Haroldswick, location of a boat museum and a heritage centre.

More about Unst HERE