Perthshire community housing project plans to tackle rural housing crisis and climate emergency

Plans for a pioneering zero-carbon community housing project have been unveiled at ecotourism destination Comrie Croft in Perthshire.Tomduie Clachan is designed as the flagship in plans for Comrie Croft’s continued development as a centre for regenerative land management, sustainable living and learning. Crucially, it will also allow the Croft to provide business-critical affordable housing for staff, the owner-manager-entrepreneurs of onsite micro-enterprises and other local people.The architectural design, by John Gilbert Architects, is inspired by the traditional Scottish clachan. Clachans were clusters of cottages focused around the use of common resources such as a well or spring. Sharing and strong neighbourly relationships were a mainstay, something the Tomduie project is designed to emulate. Features of Tomduie include nine modestly sized, super-insulated homes made from local natural materials, a common house and laundry, shared electric cars, renewable energy from small-scale hydro and solar power, and onsite food production.A new Community Interest Company, Tomduie Collective Housing CIC, has been established to enable prospective householders to develop the clachan and for joint management of the Clachan’s common resources. The Scottish Government has recognised an opportunity to develop new ways of living and working post-Covid-19, refocusing rural housing policy on community, place, wellbeing, local enterprise, and climate-friendly development. With government support, national rural housing charity Rural Housing Scotland (RHS) has recently launched the Smart Clachan initiative. Tomduie Clachan is one of the pilot projects. Perth & Kinross Council is presently considering the planning application for Tomduie Clachan with a decision expected in early December.