APPENDIX II
Strategic Issues and Projects for the Period 2000 to 2006
Document review and discussions with key partners have revealed 77 strategic issues and projects contained within forward plans.
Also some pointers are emerging from the socio-economic profile note such as the need to widen the employment base, support tourism vital to the area's future; to continue to attract inward investments and create new businesses, and to provide for some 700 new jobs over the next 7 years.
Projects have been grouped into the three priorities contained in the new HIE Strategy, with two added environmental and area based priorities. These groups are further subdivided into ten strategic aims.
A INCREASING BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS
AIM 1 - diversify local economic base by encouraging business sectors not well represented but well suited to Skye and Lochalsh. Also continuing support for key businesses which will remain the foundation of the local economy.
A1 Expand and develop SMEs targeting the following sectors –
IT businesses
Business services
Value added to local food products
Natural products
Local culture, arts and film
A2 Promote development of the Orbost business community.
A3 Develop a high technology/education/media business park at Sabhal Mor Ostaig.
A4 Promote the reopening of Kishorn for rig decommissioning. Even though this is sited in Ross and Cromarty it is a substantial source of employment for Skye and Lochalsh.
A5 Create 3ha of land for business development in Portree.
A6 Create new jobs in Healthcare.
A7 Promote sites for high amenity business use at some of the key locations identified in the Local Plans.
A8 Help SMEs to undertake research and development.
A9 Help to develop the retail sector by improving skills and services.
A10 Facelift industrial sites particularly at Portree and Kyle.
A11 Promote call centres in small communities.
A12 Use Gaelic at a major focus for new business in media, Gaelic services and products.
AIM 2 A Sustainable Primary Sector
A13 Manage inshore fisheries.
A14 Improve the long term sustainability of fish farming.
A15 Promote the lobster fishery.
A16 Improve quality of fish catch.
A17 Boost local agricultural production and diversify away from the sheep economy.
A18 Develop horticulture and organic production.
A19 Market locally produced agricultural products to local purchasers including visitors giving a distinctive Skye and Lochalsh image.
A20 Support small scale local fisheries with inshore fishery regulations.
A21 Improve fishery infrastructure particularly at Portree, Struan, Stein and Staffin.
A22 Obtain CAP national envelope for livestock.
A23 Promote new forestry planting opportunities in central Skye.
A24 Develop forestry businesses.
AIM 3 - Enhance IT Communications
A25 Complete the ISDN infrastructure to all Skye and Lochalsh telephone exchanges.
A26 Improve mobile telephone reception.
A27 Develop local IT centres in rural communities.
A28 Develop collaboration in rural teleworking.
AIM 4 - Develop an Integrated Transport System
A29 Provide a Kyle of Lochalsh rail freight terminus.
A30 Improve the piers at Uig, Raasay, Kyle and Portree.
A31 Provide scheduled air services from Broadford.
A32 Provide better integrated public transport to rural areas.
A33 Innovate ways of extracting timber where road weight limits cannot be lifted.
A34 Complete the road improvements to Armadale.
AIM 5 - Build up the Local Tourism Infrastructure, Businesses and Skill Base
A35 Promote and market activity holidays.
A36 Develop footpath and cycleway networks and establish footpath tourism as a key business.
A37 Improve local interpretation particularly of the Gaelic heritage and history.
A38 Build on cruise ship visits to Portree.
A39 Co-ordinate events programmes and festivals to extend the season.
A40 Upgrade visitor accommodation.
A41 Develop potential for steam trains at Kyle.
A42 Improve tourist signposting.
A43 Create jobs in tourist niche business (wildlife, culture, water sports).
A44 Increase forestry recreation opportunities.
A45 Develop green tourism projects.
B HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
AIM 6 - Fully Co-ordinated Training Network based on Sabhal Mor Ostaig with good access to distance learning for all.
B1 Develop a network of UHI outreach centres throughout the area
B2 Develop an Adult Guidance Strategy by targeting training on –
- Improving quality in tourist industry.
- Business management
- Community leaders
- IT skills
- Health and Safety at work
- Fishery skills
- Agriculture skills for croft returners
- Environmental management
Note the importance of the organisations such as JET and ILM in training the unemployed.
B3 Link schools to local business.
C STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES – improving quality of life and community confidence.
AIM 7 - create vibrant local communities by addressing social exclusion, better access to jobs training and services, community care, and affordable housing. Target particularly disadvantaged areas like Glenelg and Trotternish with the actions emerging from the Duthchas initiative.
C1 Local housing action to include –
- upgrade stock creating work for local business.
- rented homes to allow elderly to remain in their community.
- affordable homes for local workers.
C2 Improve local community centres to become multi-purpose buildings, using schools if possible and developing their leisure facilities for both local and visitor markets.
C3 Develop community care infrastructure.
C4 Encourage community land ownership and involvement in managing local natural sites and woodlands.
C5 Develop community businesses to deliver local services.
C6 Develop community based renewable energy.
C7 Develop community based waste minimisation.
C8 Fund community led projects to remove eyesores and create community facilities particularly in Balmacara, Staffin, Broadford and Glenelg.
C9 Empower community partnerships –
- resources to do things locally.
- build capacity to sustain community managers.
C10 Create new jobs in child care to help women returners.
AIM 8 - make conditions right for remote less advantaged rural areas to prosper without disadvantage.
C11 Support lifeline rural shops and filling stations.
C12 Empower crofters to manage their own affairs.
C13 Encourage crofter forestry particularly in North Skye and Raasay.
C14 Encourage farm/crofter diversification into IT and tourism fields.
C15 Provide small scale, affordable rural business premises.
C16 Tackle rural dereliction and encourage new croft entrants.
C17 Extend crofter building grants to other employees in rural communities.
D SUSTAINING AND PROTECTING THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
AIM 9 - take account of sustaining the natural environment in all actions
D1 Restore native woodlands.
D2 Invest in habitat improvement to create biodiversity.
D3 Create new jobs in the natural environment by marketing environmental opportunities for business.
D4 Co-ordinate deer management.
D5 Reduce over grazing.
D6 Tackle soil erosion.
D7 Co-ordinate water quality improvement in Lochalsh communities.
E SPECIFIC AREA BASED ACTIONS
AIM - to concentrate co-ordinated public agency action on geographic places in need of treatment.
E1 Promote the Portree project linking developments at Bayfield, the Harbour and Industrial Estate and the Home Farm link road.
E2 Develop Orbost as a centre of excellence in organics/horticulture
E3 Complete the Kyle/Kyleakin project by providing passenger ferry diversifying the Butrec base and improving Kyle pier and at Kyleakin the harbour, visitor centre and the Allt an Avaig Marine Facility.
E4 Implement the recently prepared economic development plans for the fragile areas of Trotternish, Glenelg and Raasay.
E5 Develop Sabhal Mor Ostaig as a centre of Gaelic excellence and growth point in Sleat.
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