Latest news with #crofters
BBC News
02-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Thousands of crofters miss annual reporting deadline
About 3,500 crofters have failed to submit legally required documents by a deadline set by the Crofting Commission. The annual notice is a statutory requirement, designed to ensure crofters are living and working on the land. It also asks for information about maintenance. The commission, the sector's regulatory body, said while the return rate had improved, the missing data limited its ability to get a full picture of are 21,000 crofts and 16,000 crofters in Scotland, many of them in Highlands, Western Isles and Argyll. Commission chairman Andrew Thin said the figure was said: "If 3,500 people aren't telling us where they're living, you have to ask if they have something to hide or if they're just confused. We don't know yet."The rules state that crofters must live within 20 miles of their croft. They must also be using the Thin said the system was said: "The law is absolutely clear. If you don't fill in the annual notice, you will be fined."If you are not filling in your notice, because you're not living within 20 miles, you are letting your community down." Donna Smith, chief executive of the Scottish Crofting Federation, said she was shocked by the figure, but suggested there could be a lack of said: "Maybe people don't understand that it's a legal requirement."The Crofting Commission has urged crofters to familiarise themselves with their duties and ask for any assistance in completing the paperwork.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Concern over future of UK's only council-run abattoir
Concerns have been raised about the future of the UK's only local authority-run abattoir. Overall use of the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar-operated facility in Stornoway, Lewis, has fallen since 2018 and last year it failed to meet its £184,000 income target. A report to the comhairle's transport and infrastructure committee said the shortfall would need to be met from the local authority's municipal services budget. Lochs councillor Angus Morrison urged crofters to use the abattoir or risk losing it, but he also raised some concerns fees for the service were to rise by 5%. The committee heard that some crofters were slaughtering livestock at home, rather than putting the animals to the abattoir. It was told there had been a decline in sheep numbers in the isles, which could also be affecting throughput at the facility. More stories from the Highlands and Islands News from the Highlands and Islands on BBC Sounds Mr Morrison told the committee: "We have to put a message out to the users that it is either use it or lose it as far as the abattoir is concerned." He added: "I don't think we're doing much good by putting an increase of 5% on the kill charges but I do understand that that has to happen." Slaughter fees for a sheep will rise to about £44. Loch a Tuath councillor Donald Crichton said crofters were being discouraged from increasing their sheep stock due to bureaucracy around farming. Last year, the comhairle used £50,000 of Crown Estate funding to support the abattoir. A saving of about £14,000 was also achieved by opening the site later in the year. Reporting by local democracy reporter Peter Urpeth. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Concern over future of council-run Stornoway abattoir
Concerns have been raised about the future of the UK's only local authority-run use of the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar-operated facility in Stornoway, Lewis, has fallen since 2018 and last year it failed to meet its £184,000 income target.A report to the comhairle's transport and infrastructure committee said the shortfall would need to be met from the local authority's municipal services councillor Angus Morrison urged crofters to use the abattoir or risk losing it, but he also raised some concerns fees for the service were to rise by 5%. The committee heard that some crofters were slaughtering livestock at home, rather than putting the animals to the was told there had been a decline in sheep numbers in the isles, which could also be affecting throughput at the facility. Mr Morrison told the committee: "We have to put a message out to the users that it is either use it or lose it as far as the abattoir is concerned."He added: "I don't think we're doing much good by putting an increase of 5% on the kill charges but I do understand that that has to happen."Slaughter fees for a sheep will rise to about £ a Tuath councillor Donald Crichton said crofters were being discouraged from increasing their sheep stock due to bureaucracy around year, the comhairle used £50,000 of Crown Estate funding to support the abattoir.A saving of about £14,000 was also achieved by opening the site later in the by local democracy reporter Peter Urpeth.
