Affordable Highland homes promised to new salmon workers

New homes will be built in the Highlands in an attempt to entice workers to salmon farms due to a shortage of affordable housing throughout the region.In a new blueprint, the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation has set out a long-term vision for Scotland’s successful farmed salmon sector which will see companies provide sustainable homes for workers and in some cases for communities to own and rent or sell.The popularity of holiday rentals and second homes in the Highlands and islands is causing the cost of housing to soar in the area. A cap on prices is seen as a way of not only attracting new workers but also boosting the surrounding area. This is already happening in some farms.A Better Future For Us All reveals that salmon farmers will install electric vehicle charging points and it includes a commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 and being 100% reliant on renewable energy.It pledges to “increase the provision of high quality affordable housing in remote communities in partnership with government, local authorities and other key partners, incorporating greener approaches wherever possible”.Tavish Scott, the incoming chief executive of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, labelled the document as “momentous” and “ground-breaking”.