Community Engagement

The Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement (LRRS) sets out that “There should be meaningful collaboration and community engagement in decisions about land”. Communities can reasonably expect to be engaged in decisions about land that are likely to have an impact on them and their local area.

Our LRRS protocol on Community Engagement in Decisions Relating to Land offers practical advice for landowners and land managers on how they can engage with and involve communities in decisions about land use and management. We encourage everyone to approach engagement with a spirit of respect and understanding, that considers mutual interests in a fair and reasonable way.

We have created a route map that supports the protocol and sets out the different kinds of engagement that should be carried out, taking into account the likely impact of the decision being made. The documents together could form the basis of a framework for community engagement, supported by all parties.  

It is good practice for landowners and communities to collaborate to develop a proactive engagement plan for decisions relating to land. We have published an engagement planning template and a worked example template to support this. These are helpful for assessing the appropriate level of engagement depending on the activities taking place.

For those looking for more information about land or about their local communities, we have produced two guides: The first one, Information about communities: a guide for landowners, is designed to support landowners and managers who are looking for information about their local community and organisations that support communities. The second, Information about land: a guide for communities, is aimed at communities and individuals who are looking for information about land (and buildings) in Scotland.

Community engagement is important to consider when thinking about the benefits that land ownership, use and management can deliver. We recommend you check out our guidance, Delivering Community Benefits from Land.

Case studies, highlighting examples of good practice in community engagement can be found further down this page or by visiting our resource page and using the filters at the top of the page.