THE Scottish Government has claimed there is public support for its land reform proposals, as it published the responses to the Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation consultation.
More than 530 responses were submitted from individuals and organisations, including third sector and campaign groups, to the consultation launched last year to shape the new Land Reform Bill.
The consultation covered a broad range of issues, including a new public interest test for transactions involving large-scale landholdings, suggested to be those over 3000 ha, and whether the Scottish Government should explore who should be able to acquire such large-scale landholdings.
Some respondents commented on the general direction of the proposals overall, with the most-frequently made observation being that there was little or no evidence that land ownership at scale has negative outcomes for communities or the environment.
In particular, it was suggested that it is not clear what benefit the approach would have on the journey to net zero and that, in fact, scale is often necessary to achieve the Scottish Government’s net zero aims.
There were also a number of comments relating to concentration of land ownership, including that the Scottish Land Commission’s (SLC) 2021 discussion paper highlighted it as an issue and as potentially more significant than scale.
It was also noted the SLC’s 2019 research report found that while many people equate concern about the scale and concentration of landholdings with hostility toward private ownership, the two issues are distinct, and the risks of concentrated power can apply regardless of the sector of ownership.
How land is managed and used was also seen as important, including whether land use contributes to employment, economic and environmental sustainability.
Responses also showed that many large landholdings involve mixed uses, but that a fixed threshold methodology, such as 3000 ha could fail to reflect the divergence in impact on community and environment that different land uses can have.
From a local community perspective, there were reports that in parts of the southwest, communities are concerned about land-based activities being outside of the planning system, with both commercial afforestation for carbon sequestration and timber production and intensification of dairy farming cited as of increasing concern. There were calls for the reforms to provide options to these types of communities that are not based simply on scale.
Geographical differences of land were raised, for example that 3000 ha in the Central Belt was not comparable to 3000 ha in Sutherland, and it was reported that, in some areas, family farms can be larger than that threshhold.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “We already have a strong record of progressive and innovative land reform in our country – and indeed there are many innovative landowners across the country who are rising to the changing social, environmental and economic issues we face as a society.
“However, we can go further. In government we must do more to strengthen the contribution that large scale land holdings make to the public interest, improve transparency of land ownership and empower local communities.
“The respondents to this consultation agree with that view, and a majority agree with many of our ambitious proposals for land reform – including the introduction of a public interest test for transfers of large-scale landholdings.
“This legislation will build on the firm foundations that we already have – following good practice and taking land rights and responsibilities seriously.
“It will ensure that the good stewardship and leadership in land ownership already demonstrated by many – such as working with communities, increasing rural housing provision and addressing the climate and nature emergencies - becomes universal.
“I want to thank all the individuals and organisations who took the time to share their views and valuable insights. This is not the end of the discussion – I want to speak directly to stakeholders to hear their feedback and understand any concerns they might have.
“It’s important that we get this right, so as we prepare the Bill for introduction to Parliament, we will continue to work closely with our partners and engage with communities in rural and island areas, to ensure that we take a tailored and proportionate approach.”
This article originally appeared in our sister title, the Scottish Farmer.
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