HOLYROOD PARTIES TOLD – COMMIT YOURSELVES TO COMMUNITY LAND BUY-OUTS

The organisation representing Scotland’s community landowners is calling for firm commitments from all political parties in advance of the Holyrood elections in May.
Meeting in Inverness today (Monday), the board of Community Land Scotland – whose members account for 500,000 acres of land in the Highlands and Islands – agreed to ask the parties to commit themselves to the “expansion of, and ongoing support for,” community land ownership.
Chairman David Cameron said: “The inescapable fact is that, after a period of rapid expansion of community ownership, momentum has been lost in recent years. If we are going to reverse this, then it is essential to get commitments from the political parties in advance of the Scottish elections”.
He said that the key question was whether it would in future be possible to put together the kind of funding packages which supported successful buy-outs in places such as Gigha, South Uist and North Harris. “We have lost the Scottish Land Fund and HIE’s budget has been slashed,” he said.
“People have to know if there is any point in going down the road of community ownership and if the political will exists to sustain the policy. It is our view that the success of community ownership more than justifies that support, on economic as well as social grounds”.
Mr Cameron pointed to the success of Storas Uibhist, the community owners of South Uist, in driving a £10 million regeneration package for Lochboisdale, with support from HIE and the ERDF’s Highlands and Islands Special Programme. He said: “It is inconceivable that this would have happened under private ownership”.
In a statement, the Community Land Scotland board insisted: “The reform of Scotland’s landowning structure is a process that requires ongoing political support. We cannot stop at 500,000 acres and say that is the job done. There are many other communities where the same options and opportunities exist, but they will not be fulfilled unless the political and financial will exists to support them”.
Community Land Scotland also called on the Scottish Government to make “a long overdue decision” on the proposed community buy-out in the Pairc area of Lewis, where the absentee landowner is resisting the crofting community’s right to buy and Ministers are now required to decide the outcome.
Ends.

For further information, please contact David Cameron, Chairman, Community Land Scotland, tel. 01859 502063, 07982320243