Tag: land reform

Report underlines public support for finishing Scotland’s land reform journey

More than 96% of respondents say Scotland needs further action on land reform

The Scottish Land Commission has published new research setting out public views on the future of Scotland’s land.

Developed through the ScotLand Futures initiative, the report reflects contributions from more than 1,200 people, with over 96% saying Scotland needs change — indicating strong public support for completing the nation’s land reform journey.

People across urban, rural and island communities described how land continues to influence almost every aspect of daily life, from housing and employment to local environments and community wellbeing.

While recognising progress made over the past 25 years, many respondents highlighted that key issues remain unresolved and that further action is required to make Scotland’s land work more fairly and transparently for everyone.

People across Scotland highlighted concerns about concentrated ownership, absentee landlords and a lack of transparency in how land is managed. Many also pointed to long-neglected sites in their communities and called for earlier involvement in decisions and clearer accountability from major landowners.

The report identified several key themes:

  • Around one in 20 people said it is far too difficult to find out who owns land and called for clearer, more accessible information.
  • Nearly one in four people highlighted concerns about too much land being held by too few, limiting opportunities for homes, jobs and community development.
  • Around one in five people said absentee ownership creates distance and a lack of accountability, and that landowners should be more connected to local communities.
  • More than one in 10 people felt locked out of decisions about land use and want earlier, more meaningful involvement in shaping what happens locally.
  • Around one in 40 people expressed frustration about derelict or unused land and called for stronger action to bring these sites back into use.
  • Almost one in 10 people said tax could be used more effectively to support fairer, more productive and more accountable land use.

Michael Russell, Chair of the Scottish Land Commission, explains: “This research confirms that people across Scotland believe the country’s land reform journey is not yet complete.

“The findings highlight a broad desire for greater transparency, a more diverse pattern of ownership, and more meaningful opportunities for communities to shape decisions that affect them.

“People want to see land used productively and responsibly, and they want long-standing challenges to be addressed with greater clarity and purpose. With more than 96% of respondents calling for change, it is evident that continued progress on land reform remains an important national priority.”

A companion publication, Voices from Scotland, provides additional perspectives from community leaders, landowners, young people, campaigners and practitioners, contributing to a broader national conversation about the next steps in Scotland’s land reform journey.

The findings from both publications will help to inform the Commission’s ongoing work and its advice to Scottish Government.

Over the coming months, the Commission will use this evidence to help shape new guidance, develop policy options and support practical changes that improve transparency, strengthen community involvement and make better use of Scotland’s land. This insight will also play a key role in shaping the Commission’s recommendations for completing Scotland’s land reform journey.

REPORTS:

692444ee87aac_ScotLand Futures What We Heard – FINALDownload
692444ee8c10c_ScotLand Futures-Voices from ScotlandDownload

Land Reform Bill: Increasing land ownership transparency

Landmark legislation has been approved to help create new small landholdings to increase farming opportunities and bring agricultural tenancy law into the 21st century.

The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, passed by Parliament, grants greater protections for tenant farmers and small landholders and safeguarding fair compensation should they be removed from their holding.

The Bill will give Ministers powers to split up landholdings of over 1,000 hectares when being sold, provided that it is in the public interest to do so.

It also modernises how new small landholdings are created and operate, protecting their rights and helping new entrants and the next generation of farmers to get access to land.

A consultation about the powers of the Tenant Farming Commissioner and alternative options for dispute resolution will also be launched in the coming weeks as a result of the Bill.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “Tenant farmers and small landholders are vital to the fabric of our rural communities, and these reforms will help them to make a decent living on their holding and make improvements on the land they work on.

“It will allow them to work in a way that promotes sustainable and regenerative agricultural production, and – possibly most importantly – be protected from being removed from their holding without fair compensation. 

“I am happy we are able to progress in consulting on the role of the Tenant Farming Commissioner so quickly and I would encourage all tenant farmers, small landholders and crofters to make their views known.

“Scotland’s concentrated patterns of ownership developed over centuries, with ownership and control of our nation’s land in the hands of the few for too long.

“In future, communities will have advance notice of sales of large land holdings and Ministers will have the powers to pause them to allow the option of a Right to Buy application to be explored.

“This is an important step in our land reform journey and I am grateful to all those who have worked with us through the Parliamentary process.”

JUNK LAW? Land reform legislation will create bureaucracy and confusion, not change, warns Scottish Land & Estates

Scottish Land & Estates, the rural business organisation, has issued the following statement following the completion of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill at the Scottish Parliament.

Sarah-Jane Laing, chief executive at Scottish Land & Estates, said: “Perhaps uniquely, this legislation has succeeded in uniting landowners, land reform campaigners, lawyers, property agents and accountants – all of whom recognise that, whatever your stance on land reform, this is junk law.

“The reality is that many of the Bill’s provisions are so badly drafted that it will take years of additional work by government and others before they can be implemented in practice – and some may never come into effect at all.

“No one emerges as a winner from this – not government, not landowners, not rural businesses, not communities, and certainly not the taxpayer who will bear much of the cost of the added bureaucracy. The only likely beneficiaries will be lawyers, as property transactions become more complex and the prospect of this Act being the subject of a challenge before the courts.

“The Scottish Government says it wants to empower communities, yet it overlooks the fact that extensive rights for communities to buy land already exist. These powers could be used more often, but the reality is that demand for community ownership is far lower than activists claim.

“We now face the extraordinary prospect of the Scottish Government effectively acting as an estate agent – deciding how property should be broken up before it even reaches the market. For taxpayers who have witnessed the government’s forays into ferries, airports and recycling schemes, that idea will seem utterly absurd.

“Farms and estates also face being saddled with expensive and bureaucratic Land Management Plans that will do nothing to support the prosperity or resilience of rural communities. Whilst we have been firmly supportive of increased transparency and engagement with communities, no other business type is being asked to justify its activities in such a way.

“The government has also missed a major opportunity to revitalise the tenanted farming sector. Instead of encouraging more people to let land, it has chosen to penalise them further by introducing new, financially punitive compensation measures. That approach risks delivering the final blow to a sector already in decline, as those with land to let withdraw in the face of the uncertainty and risk created by this Bill.

“This Bill could have been an opportunity to build consensus and deliver meaningful, practical reform that supports rural Scotland’s people, businesses and environment. Instead, it represents a missed opportunity – one that will create division, confusion and delay at a time when Scotland needs stability, investment and economic growth.

“We urge the Scottish Government to pause, reflect and work with all stakeholders to develop legislation that truly serves the long-term interests of our rural communities.”

Opportunity for feedback to help Scotland improve land reform journey

Land Commission launches research in a bid to continuously improve engagement

People in Scotland are being encouraged to participate in a nationwide survey to help inform a major public body on how engagement in decisions about land in Scotland can be improved.

The Scottish Land Commission’s easy-to-use online surveys have officially launched giving people in Scotland an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to land reform.

The Commission is conducting two surveys – one for landowners and one for communities – to find out more about how private and public sector landowners engage with their local communities.

The land reform body is hoping to collect information on the progress that has been made so far while the results will go on to help shape future guidance and regulation changes to encourage more effective engagement with communities when it comes to land.

Hamish Trench, Chief Executive at the Scottish Land Commission, said: “Land is our most valuable asset. It is important to a variety of Scotland’s ambitions such as net zero, nature restoration and community empowerment.

“By listening to the views of landowners and communities, it will paint a better picture of how community engagement has progressed and how it can continue to improve in the coming years.

“Land can and should work to everyone’s benefit and by engaging closely with those across the country, regulations and recommendations can be shaped to ensure everybody is included in that benefit.”

The survey was first run in 2019 to establish a baseline of knowledge for the Scottish Land Commission; the latest survey has launched to look at how the situation has changed.

The survey is now open and will run until the 30 November. The research will then be analysed by the Scottish Land Commission and results may be shared with the Scottish Government and other relevant organisations to inform future work programmes and priorities.

It is the latest initiative from the Scottish Land Commission which recently launched its ‘Land @ Lunch’ bitesize webinars to inform those across the country with practical information about land use and ownership.

The Scottish Land Commission works with landowners, land managers and communities to help them to create a Scotland where everybody benefits from the ownership, management and use of the nation’s land.

The survey for landowners and managers can be found here: 

https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/SLC-CtyEngage-LOM22/

The survey for community organisations and individuals can be found here:

https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/SLC-CtyEngage-ComOrgs22/

To find out more about the Scottish Land Commission, visit: 

landcommission.gov.scot.

New report calls for ‘revolution’ in Scottish land use

– Findings based on expert analysis and public consultation events.

– Launch of new body to monitor progress on “urgent and combined actions.”

The Scottish Government, councils and landowners need to take “urgent and combined actions” to tackle the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis, according to a new report.

The report, published by the Scottish Ecological Design Association (SEDA), sets out eight recommendations to tackle the challenges facing biodiversity, food production, renewable energy, health and well-being.

The co-ordinated approach calls for the rapid development of new strategies and plans alongside reforms to existing regulations and continued investment in innovative businesses, public services and infrastructure.

If implemented, new Healthy Food, Agroecology and Sustainable Place strategies would be combined with strengthened requirements under the Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement as well as Climate Impact Certificates detailing land use impacts.

The New Vision for Land Use in Scotland report also calls for continued investment in transport, renewable energy and communications infrastructure across Scotland along with seed funding for innovative new businesses.

The integrated approach would be underpinned by support for secondary and tertiary education in creating a climate conscious, motivated and skilled workforce.

In developing the recommendations, SEDA hosted events with nearly 50 of the best-informed speakers on all aspects of rural land use. The experts participated in 6 Conversations with designers, architects, businesses, campaigners and the general public. In all, over 1,250 people took part in the Conversations.

Experts believe that little additional government expenditure is required to deliver such a framework, which would encourage and allow the private and third sectors to invest.

However, delivering the recommendations requires significant and rapid changes in processes and greater integration of existing and new policies and procedures.

Gail Halvorsen, Event Organiser for the SEDA 6 Conversations, said: “I felt there was a need for a broad-ranging event on the future of Scotland’s land use in view of the climate emergency and COP26.

“The recommendations that have come from this well-attended series of conversations will cause the greatest change in Scottish land use since the agrarian revolution.

“Crucially, each part of the recommended eight-point programme is dependent on the others to deliver a sustained improvement in climate change mitigation, biodiversity enhancement, health & wellbeing, and economic activity across Scotland.”

An immediate result of the report’s findings will be the launch of SEDA Land, a new forum for SEDA members and experts in land use to continue the discussion, seek to influence land use change and monitor progress made by the Scottish Government, local authorities, land owners and businesses in implementing the changes needed.

SEDA Land will be launched formally alongside a discussion about the report at an event on 6 September.

Catherine Cosgrove, Chair of SEDA, commented: “Our Land Conversations series provided a platform for ideas and experiences to be discussed. This report provides a flavour of the rich debate sparked during these events and eight recommendations we believe the Scottish Government needs to implement rapidly.

“We hope this will be the start of a wider public debate that could revitalise our relationship with the land.”

Deborah Roberts, Deputy Chief Executive at the James Hutton Institute, added: “The need for land use reform has captured people’s imaginations and we particularly welcome the interdisciplinary and science-led approach in this report’s findings.

“As this report makes clear, a sustainable future for Scotland’s land can only be built on a cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary basis, and through the use of principles which take into account people’s needs, sense of community, place and tradition – all of which vary from one region to the next.”

Professor Davy McCracken, Head of Integrated Land Management at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and one of the authors of the report, said: “It is clear that a ‘single policy, single outcome’ approach does not address the needs of rural areas. What is needed urgently is cross-sector policies which are integrated and can deliver across a broad set of issues.

“The Deputy First Minister’s additional role as Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery – and especially the responsibility for the coordination of delivery and outcomes across portfolios – will be fundamental to achieving this.”

For more information, visit https://www.seda.uk.net/resources

Porty shares in Land Fund Awards

Communities the length and breadth of Scotland have been given the green light to realise their ambitions to take ownership of and redevelop local land. The Scottish Government’s Scottish Land Fund has awarded 11 projects a total of £2.1 million to allow local groups to purchase land for community ownership.  Continue reading Porty shares in Land Fund Awards

Fans First! Greens set out plans for fan-owned football

Hearts were on the brink, there’s deep disquiet about investment at Hibs and the mighty Rangers are in trouble once again. All is far from well in the world of football finance, so can the Scottish Greens score with Fans First?

IbroxThe Green MSPs have confirmed long-standing plans to bring changes to land reform legislation to give football fans the right to buy their clubs. 

The proposals were set out in a consultation response to Holyrood’s Local Government and Regeneration Committee, which is about to start consideration of the Scottish Government’s Community Empowerment Bill.

The submission also sets out plans by Green MSP Alison Johnstone, who is leading the Greens’ “Fans First” campaign, to broaden the 2003 Land Reform Act to include intangible community assets, not just land, in line with the general principles of the Scottish Government’s proposals. This would help communities to take on and run vital services like pubs, local cinemas, and even public transport.

UnityAlison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian, said: “The time has come for the Scottish Parliament to give fans the power to take on their clubs when they come on the market or when they go into administration, or possibly even at any time for a fair price.

“We’ve always argued that fans will tend to be the best custodians of the clubs they love, and that the long-term security and strength of Scottish football requires a move towards the kind of community ownership common elsewhere.

“Scottish Ministers have set up a working group under Stephen Morrow to look at this issue, which we support. However, the group will report after this legislation has been considered, so it’s vital that this legislative opportunity shouldn’t be missed. The changes we’re proposing will still mean fans’ trusts will require Ministerial signoff, just as is already the case with land reform, so the only risk would be if Parliament rejects our proposals, leaving fans with no prospect of progress any time soon.

“So we’re encouraging all the trusts in Scotland to make their views known. Do they want to cross their fingers and rely on the current slow move to fan ownership, or do they want Parliament’s support to put them in the driving seat?”

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