Community land ownership boost for Scottish towns and cities

COMMUNITY land ownership is now well established across Scotland with a fifth of all properties in urban – and not solely rural – areas, a new report has revealed. Community Land Scotland said the change has come about after the Community Right to Buy Act was extended five years ago and the Scottish Land Fund provided almost £7 million of funding to enable the buy-outs. Published today by Community Land Scotland, the report hails the success story “about all of Scotland”, which it said leads the way internationally in community-led urban regeneration, delivered by communities who own and control important local assets. Ailsa Raeburn, Community Land Scotland’s chair, said the report – From Barmulloch to Bonnymuir Green: This is not just a rural story – highlights the vision and tenacity of urban community owners. “The subsequent extension of the Scottish Land Fund to match that has also been a major support to community groups across the country.”