Good times for land reform

It's great to see the devolution of the Crown Estate finally happening. A consultation on the Crown Estate was the first policy response I completed for SCVO nearly four years ago, so it’s personally satisfying that the estate is to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament. Further devolution to communities will be needed to realise the full potential of these assets, but bringing them under democratic control is an important first step. But sentimentality aside, the proposals for land reform announced in the Scottish Government's Legislative Programme and subsequent consultation are where the real opportunities lie. If you want to see a real shift in power that goes beyond debating what level of government should exercise control, land reform is currently where to look.

If you want to see a real shift in power that goes beyond debating what level of government should exercise control, land reform is currently where to look

As it stands the high concentration of land in so few hands (432 landowners own 50% of private land in Scotland) means that wealth, and therefore power, is restricted to a very small number of individuals. Apart from the obvious inequality of this situation, it can also act as a barrier to economic, social and environmental development. It can leave communities disempowered and without the land they need to make improvements in their area. So what has been proposed by the Scottish Government to tackle these issues? Well, the recently announced additional money for the Land Fund will be a big boost for community ownership and will provide much needed finance for the improvements to the Community Right to Buy powers in the Community Empowerment Bill. Add into the mix proposals for a Land Commission, a commitment to tackle landowners who are a barrier to sustainable development, a Succession Bill, a target for completing the Land Register and modernisation of Common Good assets and things are starting to look pretty rosy. I'm also encouraged to hear the Scottish Government talking about a long process of land reform and the need for a specific Land Rights and Responsibilities policy to underpin the whole process. This will hopefully ensure land reform is aligned with other public policy and momentum is maintained. The Smith Commission should be commended for recommending the devolution of the Crown Estate, but if the Scottish Government can pull off everything they have proposed, we could finally see some overdue progress on land reform.