The Scottish Land Commission has revealed some rural communities are being harmed by concentrated land ownership
Concentrated land ownership is having significant impact on communities across rural Scotland, a new report has revealed.
The Scottish Land Commission report, titled Investigation into the issues associated with Large Scale and Concentrated Land Ownership in Scotland, reveals concentrated ownership is harming some rural communities in Scotland.
Representing the most substantial investigation conducted into the impacts of this issue, the report is based on robust evidence about rural land ownership that shows how the concentration of social, economic and decision-making power significantly impacts communities across rural Scotland.
The report follows a call for evidence by the commission last year, for anyone with experience of living or working in parts of Scotland where most of the land is owned by a small number of people, to share their experiences.
More than 407 people, from landowners and land managers to community representatives and individuals, submitted evidence.
Findings included that most of the disadvantages associated with Scotland’s current pattern of land ownership relate to a concentration of social, economic and decision-making power, not simply the size of landholdings
In some parts of Scotland, concentrated ownership hampers economic development and causes serious and long-term harm to the communities affected
The problems are not associated exclusively with any particular type of landowner – the Commission found a consistent pattern of evidence relating to land owned across the private, public, NGO and community sectors
Speaking about the report, Hamish Trench, chief executive of The Scottish Land Commission, said: “Concern about the impacts of concentrated land ownership in Scotland has long been central to the land reform debate. This evidence report allows us to move on from debating whether ownership is an issue, to understanding what the issues are and how they can be addressed.
“The evidence we have collected shows clearly that it is the concentration of power associated with land ownership, rather than necessarily the scale of landholding, that has a significant impact on the public interest, for example in relation to economic opportunities, housing and community development.
“Good management can of course reduce the risks associated with the concentration of power and decision making, but the evidence shows that adverse impacts are causing significant detriment to the communities affected. This points to the need for systemic change beyond simply a focus on good management.”
The report has been published alongside a set of recommendations to the Scottish Government. These include a review of statutory land rights and responsibilities, requirement for land management plans and a public interest test for significant land transfers.
Trench added: “The reforms we propose are a first step to address the significant issues identified in the evidence and move towards a more diverse and dynamic pattern of land ownership.
“Some of these reforms will require legislative change, and in the short term we have identified the need for stronger leadership within the land ownership sectors to address the risk and impacts identified and implement a programme of land rights and responsibilities good practice."
The commission is to engage with stakeholders and the public on the findings of the evidence, its implications and their recommendations, through a series of events and public meetings culminating in a land reform conference in October 2019.
