MSPs consider plans to stop landowners 'blocking' community buy-outs
The Scottish Greens tabled the amendments to the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill which would give communities greater powers to take back local land from 'absentee' landowners.
Currently, communities are restricted from progressing with community buy-outs of neglected land if the landowner brings a small part of the area 'into use'.
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Scottish Greens MSP Mark Ruskell brought forward the amendments which would mean landlords would have to bring at least 50% of a landholding into use, otherwise it would be classed as abandoned or neglected and would be eligible for community buy-out.
The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill was tabled by the SNP Government and passed its first hurdle in the Scottish Parliament at the stage 1 debate in March.
Part of the legislation aims to increase opportunities for community buy-outs of land, and also when large estates are put on the market, ministers could break up this land – in a process known as lotting – into smaller areas, if certain conditions are met.
However, ministers have already been told by Holyrood's Net Zero, Environment and Transport Committee that 'significant change' is needed to the bill if it is to deliver on the Scottish Government's 'ambitious policy objectives'.
Ruskell's proposals are set to be debated and voted on at the same committee on Tuesday.
Mark Ruskell Commenting, Ruskell said: 'For too long, people have been unfairly barred from bringing local land back into community ownership because of a tiny loophole in the law.
'It cannot be right that neglectful landowners are able to leave land ignored and derelict for many years, whilst communities are desperate to bring areas back into productive use.
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'The Land Reform Bill should be an opportunity to tackle this kind of inherent unfairness in Scotland's land ownership – and that's exactly why I've brought these proposals forward.'
Ruskell added that he has been supporting locals in Largo, Fife, where he said that plans for the community buy-out of local land have been blocked by the landowner converting less than 10% of the holding into a horticulture business.
He said that the rest of the site – which includes historic buildings and gardens – have been left 'abandoned and neglected'.
Ruskell added: 'For folks in Largo, this ridiculous saga has gone on for too long – it's time to close the Largo loophole for good.'
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