A highly ambitious flagship project that will deliver a range of socio-economic and environmental benefits in a sustainable and carbon neutral way.
Description
IDI has set aside an initial 25 acres of Cornabus Community Forest to deliver housing, a Community Orchard, Garden and allotments for the community.
In 2021 we carried out extensive consultation on the proposed development site within the now community owned Cornabus Forest. Formerly a commercial Sitka Spruce plantation, the whole site will eventually be replanted with native broadleaf to replicate the Atlantic Rainforest once prevalent on Islay, delivering significant biodiversity benefits but also on the community wish list from the consultation was housing for young people, allotments, an orchard and forest trails and a garden areas.
The project will endeavour to add social and environmental value to the site and also create a space for community members and groups to enjoy. In 2020 Islay lost it's well-known community garden at Islay House, due to the property being sold on the open market. This was a much loved and used community space. Although the site at Cornabus is not a walled garden, extensive research on other forest garden initiatives was carried out in 2022 - including visits to Royal Botanical Society managed forests and formal garden spaces, such as Benmore and Puck's Glen. The intention is to take some elements of the old community garden site and duplicate them and the new, with lots of additional features.
The project is highly ambitious, and the first stage of funding has been secured from Inspiring Scotland for development of the tree nursery site where we will grow the replacement trees. Secondary funding has come from Carbon Neutral Islands, specifically to create some of the infrastructure and assist with a circular economy approach to fuel wood supply on the island at affordable rates.
This is a lifetime legacy project that will create a destination for outdoor enjoyment but also offer a range of solutions to the socio-economic challenges that the island faces with a strong focus on becoming Carbon Neutral. Islay is in a housing crisis and the addition of 10 affordable houses will help address some of those issues. To ease pressure on the Grid, the project also comes with it’s own district heating system using the remaining Sitka Spruce on site as a fuel source, a wind turbine and solar panels.
The finished project will deliver a host of positive benefits including but not limited to:
Employment
Affordable Housing
Circular Economy approach/local fuel
Community garden
Allotments
Carbon capture in new tree planting
Significant destination space for locals and visitors alike.
The project will link into Argyll College, Islay High School, Youth Initiative and employability. Partners and funders will be Scottish Government – Rural and Islands Housing Fund, Argyll and Bute Council and National Lottery. Community group usage will be open to all groups on the island and will link into national networks such as Community Woodlands Association, Scottish Islands Federation and Community Tree Nursery Network.
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