Community Rights to Buy: consultation analysis

3.9 Any other comments

Q19: Do you wish to make any other comments in relation to the matters raised by this consultation and which you feel have not been covered by any of the earlier questions?

This question gave the opportunity for respondents to cover any issues they thought relevant and that had not been covered elsewhere. Forty-two respondents left some form of comment in this part and, of those, 33 made substantive comments. The remainder made minor comments to the effect that they had nothing further to add.

Themes

Reflective of the open nature of this question, and the large number of respondents who provided substantive comments, a wide variety of themes arose within this final question. These included requests for additional support and capacity building for community groups; clearer guidance; tackling issues around unknown owners; and more general, procedural comments.

Selected comments:

“It appears from Annex B of the paper that no steps are to be taken to facilitate CRTBs in relation to properties held by unknown owners. That would be unfortunate, because the problem of unknown owners plagues communities in both urban and rural Scotland, putting barriers both legal and physical in the way of development. The government should provide a mechanism whereby applications can be registered, even if the owner is unknown, and an advertising provision and timescale specified to give an owner time to come forward or have the land registered in the ownership of the community applicant (with provision made for appropriate compensation if they come forward at a later date).” (Individual respondent)

“As stated earlier in this consultation, we do feel that any changes must be considered alongside new provisions contained within the current Land Reform Bill, especially with regard to the interplay between land management plans and the compulsory rights to buy, and between late applications and prior notification provisions.” (Scottish Land and Estates)

“It is important that any changes to the Community Right to Buy process continue to support thriving rural communities and protect existing land-based businesses, including sheep farming. The process should remain fair and accessible for small communities, with clear guidance and support available throughout.

Ongoing engagement with farming groups and rural stakeholders is essential to ensure that reforms work well in practice and do not create unintended barriers for those who manage and care for the land. Flexibility and transparency should be at the heart of any changes.” (National Sheep Association)

“Communities are very supportive of the legislation in principle. It is empowering that these community rights exist. There is a huge amount of passion behind these applications, with hard-working and dedicated volunteers. However, there needs to be recognition that these applications are being carried out by volunteers, who are representing and working with local communities. There needs to be an understanding that these applications are being produced under these conditions, and that small, editorial or procedural errors should not trip up applications.” (Community Land Scotland)