Ambitious Knocknagael asset transfer in the balance after review
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The future of an ambitious bid to turn the Knocknagael bull stud farm field will likely hinge on the “crofting loss versus the community gain” after an inquiry held in Inverness this week.
The planning and environmental appeals division (DPEA) hearing will look at the many issues surrounding the bid for a community asset transfer by Knocknagael Ltd and the Scottish Government’s refusal.
Scottish ministers rejected the bid because the land is integral to the operation of the stud farm and that passing it to the community group would increase costs to crofters who currently get a subsidised rate.
Knocknagael Ltd and a variety of charities hope to use the land to improve people’s health and wellbeing by creating a green hub with community walks, allotments, an orchard, polytunnels and other growing areas for community food production.
Retired GP and north of Scotland postgraduate dean, Professor Ronald McVicar said: “If you’re seeking examples of where benefits can be measured and perhaps, even financially measured, which is very, very difficult in health.
“One example might be in social prescribing, where general practitioners and others who’ve got prescribing rights or potential being increasingly encouraged to consider other roots other than drug prescribing.”
He added: “And the Think Health Think Nature organisation is very impatient to work with us in and putting these initiatives and pathways in place.”
That was supported by Graham Cooper from Action for Children; Alex Gilchrist of Highland Homeless Trust and Annabel Wood from the mental health support charity Centred.
But Iain Carmichael, the head of agricultural development within the rural payments inspection division of the Scottish Government, said the land does not qualify for asset transfer because it is not currently “surplus to requirements.”
He argued that the site allows the Scottish Government to provide bulls to 460 individual crofters and around 136 crofting townships, who without the stud farm would see their costs rise by around 39 per cent.
“There were reasonable grounds for refusing the request because the land is currently an integral part of the bull stud and is not surplus to requirements – this alone is sufficient grounds to refuse the request,” he said.
“Continuing to support the crofting cattle improvement scheme enables crofters to produce extensively reared beef. Furthermore the land use allows social well being benefits by making it more financially viable for crofters to keep small numbers of cows.
“This helps maintain crofting activity and traditions, which in turn helps protect the future of crofting in remote, fragile areas.”
He added: “To conclude the application was refused primarily because the smiddy field is not currently surplus to our requirements, secondly the benefits of the asset transfer request was ultimately considered to be less than the benefits of its use.”
