SCOTTISH Land & Estates has called on the Scottish Government to recognise the contribution that private landowners make to rural areas after ministers published their latest land reform proposals.
The membership body – which represents landowners, rural businesses, and rural professionals – highlighted the part that estates, farms, and other rural businesses play in areas such as agriculture, conservation, renewable energy, and tourism.
The Scottish Government’s proposals include:
- the introduction of a public interest test for transfers of large-scale landholdings;
- a requirement on owners of large-scale holdings to give prior notice to community bodies of their intention to sell;
- and a requirement on those seeking land-based subsidies to have the land registered in the Land Register, to ensure transparency around who benefits from public funding.
Ministers aim to introduce their latest land reform bill to the Scottish Parliament before the end of next year.
A consultation on their proposals has also been launched.
Stephen Young, head of policy at Scottish Land & Estates, said: “Land-based businesses on estates and farms across Scotland play a key role in the rural economy.
“We hope that government recognises private land businesses are playing a huge part in delivering first class land use in terms of agriculture, renewable energy, leisure, tourism, heritage, and conservation, as well as meeting the challenges of the climate change and biodiversity crisis.
“The most important aspect of land is how well it is used – regardless of who owns it – and this is going to be more crucial than ever as we rebuild economic activity and ensure that rural communities thrive again in the wake of the pandemic.”
Young added: “This new land reform bill will be the third bill of its type since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament.
“We support all different types of land ownership models and we already have legislation [that] helps communities acquire land where there is demand.
“We have also been long-standing supporters of transparency of ownership.
“As regards a public interest test on large-scale transfers of ownership, this is an issue that government itself has said is extremely complex and will need to be considered in great detail.”
Read more stories on Scottish Field’s news pages.
Plus, don’t miss Morag Bootland’s article about the closure of cottage hospitals in the July issue of Scottish Field magazine.
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