Land is at the core of many of Scotland’s big ambitions, and the decisions we make about how land is owned, managed and used have implications well beyond land reform itself.
The next three years present significant opportunities to make progress. Implementation of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, interest in tax and fiscal reforms and the direction of public service reform all provide opportunities to make Scotland's land system work better.
The challenge is to make the connections between these and turn ambition into delivery.
That is the golden thread running through our new strategic plan ‘People, Place and Opportunity’, published last month. The Plan sets out our focus for the next three years, seeking to deliver on the ambitions of the Land Reform Scotland Act 2025 and the priorities expressed through our ScotLand Futures initiative.
Over the next three years we will be focused on four priorities:
- Supporting timely and effective implementation of the 2025 Land Reform Act;
- Opening up new opportunities for individuals and communities to own, lease or use land;
- Improving land data, working towards a joined-up land information system that opens up policy options;
- Improving transparency, engagement and participation to build public confidence in the land system.
These priorities are closely connected, and their importance lies in the wider impact they can help deliver.
Opening up more opportunities for individuals and communities to own land is about economic activity, housing, community resilience, farming opportunities, rural and regional growth. It is important to refresh momentum to support more community land ownership, backed by legislative improvements and an increased Scottish Land Fund. But it is also about creating opportunities for more individual ownership and use of small-scale land holdings in a variety of tenure options.
“Better land data is another essential part of building real change.”
The next three years will bring implementation of refreshed legislation on small holdings, a review of crofting legislation, a new model lease for environmental purposes. Beyond these developments, we want to explore practical routes into a wider range of ownership, leasing, joint ventures and other forms of tenure.
Better land data is another essential part of building real change. Working towards a joined-up land information system, connecting data on land ownership, value and use will open up policy options that are currently undeliverable, for example reforms to the way land is taxed. At a time of public service reform, taking a systems approach across organisational remits will deliver practical improvements for transparency, policy reforms and accessibility. The experience of other countries shows the potential that joined-up land data brings not just for efficient services, but in creating public and commercial value.
The direction Scottish Government has set out for local government reform is another important delivery opportunity. Our work looking at international experience shows that many of the issues Scotland seeks to address through national legislation on land reform are often dealt with as a matter course by local municipal government in other European countries.
Land management planning, regulations on land acquisition and ownership, public interest safeguards and some taxes are all matters that would be seen as routine business for empowered municipal government in many countries. As a result, these levers can be locally responsive and accountable and require less national level intervention. So as local government reform progresses, we should take the opportunity to strengthen its role in the land system.
Implementation of the 2025 Land Reform Act will be a big focus for the Commission, particularly through the new role of the Land and Communities Commissioner. The Commissioner will be responsible for enforcement of the new community engagement obligation on large landholdings and advise Ministers on lotting of large landholdings when they are sold.
“Implementation of the 2025 Land Reform Act will be a big focus for the Commission, particularly through the new role of the Land and Communities Commissioner.”
The Scottish Government has now published a consultation on the approach to implementing the community engagement obligation and the public appointments process to recruit the new Land and Communities Commissioner is also open. As we develop the practical ways in which the new Commissioner’s functions will be delivered, we’ll engage openly with both communities and landowners, seeking to make implementation effective and impactful.
Again, these functions do not sit in isolation. Land Management Plans and community engagement done well will improve transparency, strengthen local and regional delivery and open up new opportunities for communities, landowners and managers.
The theme of making connections extends to how we go about our own work as a Commission. We will deliver the functions of the Land Commissioners, Tenant Farming Commissioner and the new Land and Communities Commissioner in a joined-up way, recognising the interactions between their roles in shaping Scotland’s land system.
We are a small organisation and will play to our strengths in convening leadership backed by robust evidence and analysis. Doing that means we will be open and collaborative in our work and I look forward to working with many of you as we focus on the practical delivery needed.
