National Asset Transfer Action Group minutes: January 2026

Attendees and apologies

• Kathleen Glazik (Chair) – Community Empowerment, Scottish Government
• Malcolm Cowie (Secretariat) – Community Empowerment, Scottish Government
• Dr Andrew Waugh – Local Government and Analytical Services, Scottish Government
• Martin Diver – Statistician, Scottish Government
• Nye Todd – Land Reform Bill Team, Scottish Government
• Ross Johnston – Natural Capital, Scottish Government
• Max Steele – Property, Scottish Government
• Neil Henderson – Statistician, Scottish Government (online)
• Dr Evelyn Bowes – Research Team, Scottish Government
• Bryn Smith – Scotland’s Rural College (PhD intern)
• Iain Mulholland – South Lanarkshire Council
• Sandra Inrig – Renfrewshire Council (online)
• Pauline Bradshaw – Glasgow City Council
• Sarah Kimmet – Perth and Kinross Council
• Dr Gill Murray – Glasgow Caledonian University
• Dr Dani Hutcheon – Glasgow Caledonian University
• Elizabeth Doherty – Scottish Community Alliance
• Ciaran O’Sullivan – Kings and Lords Treasurers Remembrancer
• Rebecca Carr – Forestry and Land Scotland
• Linda Gillespie – Community Ownership Support Service
• Maureen Burgess – Fife Voluntary Action (online)

Apologies:

• Sandra Holmes – Highland and Islands Enterprise
• Sylvia Smith – Glasgow Life
• Dave Thomson – Community Land Team, Scottish Government
• Kimberley Guthrie – Scotland’s Towns Partnership
• Zoe McGuire – Audit Scotland

Items and actions

Welcome and Introductions

The Chair welcomed online and in person attendees to the meeting. The Chair welcomed Ciaran O’Sullivan and Ross Johnston who were attending their first meeting of the group. Also in attendance were Martin Diver and Dr Andrew Waugh, statisticians at Scottish Government who are supporting the data analysis work; and Dr Evelyn Bowes, Scottish Government Researcher and Bryn Smith, Scotland’s Rural College, who is currently seconded to the Scottish Government to support the asset transfer impact work.  

Apologies were noted.

Minutes of Last Meeting and Updates

Outstanding actions from the 29 August 2025 meeting:

• The data collection spreadsheet and instructions were shared with all 95 relevant authorities for comment and have since been updated and shared with the National Group.
• The Chair has made COSLA aware of the data gathering work.
• Iain Mulholland has completed a test run of the data spreadsheet and provided feedback.   

The minutes of the last meeting held on 29 August 2025 were agreed and have been published: National Asset Transfer Action Group minutes: 29 August 2025 meeting.

Iain provided an update on the Local Authority Asset Transfer Working Group who met online for the first time on 3 December 2025.  The group was set up to provide a support space for officers within local authorities with responsibility for community asset management.  The meeting was well attended with representation from the majority of local authorities and members shared updates on local approaches to asset transfer and also their support for community ownership.

A knowledge hub has been set up to support the group share ideas and learning in order to further support asset transfer good practice. This can be accessed here:  www.Khub.net   The group agreed to meet online in early 2026 and around twice a year with other exchanges via the knowledge hub.  Iain mentioned that members of the National Asset Transfer Action Group would be able to access the knowledge hub and share information.  

Action – Malcolm to send link to the knowledge hub to members of the group.

Rebecca provided an update on the Community Asset Transfer Scheme Repowering Working Group, set up initially between Scottish Government, Forestry and Land Scotland and Local Energy Scotland to develop and implement the Scottish Government’s updates to asset transfer policy for repowering wind farms on public land. There are currently 7 community-owned hydro schemes on the national forests and land (NFL), one community is developing an asset transfer request for a new wind farm project, and several communities are negotiating shared ownership in wind farms on the NFL.  However, there are currently no community owned wind farms and repowering provides an opportunity for communities to take on ownership of their own wind power.  The Scottish Government has identified 10 pilot sites up to 50 MW capacity due for repowering after 2030. The Working Group is developing the timetable to provide further information and guidance, carry out community and stakeholder engagement, and a stakeholder workshop is proposed for March 2026.

Bryn Smith, Scotland’s Rural College, provided an update on his 3 month internship based within the Scottish Government Research Team that’s looking at the outcomes of asset transfer.  Although small scale, this work aims to build on previous evaluations carried out on asset transfer and explore the difference that asset transfer has made, after acquisition, to communities and community organisations. The work will involve three case studies with communities and relevant authorities connected with asset transfer. It will focus on outcomes achieved and the role of asset transfers in facilitating these outcomes.  Bryn offered to feedback findings to this group at a future meeting on completion of the project.

It was suggested that the National Group could link in with the Community Landownership Academic Network (CLAN)  who capture the range of research activities that are happening across Scotland in relation to community ownership

Action – Malcolm to arrange for Bryn to present an overview of the project at the April 2026 meeting.   

Malcolm confirmed the Scottish Public Finance Manual has been updated to account for asset transfers. Updates have been added to the Property Acquisition, Disposal and Management chapter to account for best value and asset transfer which can be found under the General Principles subheading here: Property acquisition, disposal and management - Scottish Public Finance Manual - gov.scot

A further update has been made to the Disposal of Property Guidance chapter of the manual which now includes a Disposal of Assets Under Community Empowerment Legislation sub heading. This specifically refers to asset transfer legislation, highlights the Scottish Government Social Value Guidance for Asset Transfer and signposts additional help available from the Community Ownership Support Service. This is outlined at paragraphs 11 and 12 of the link here: Disposal of property guidance - Scottish Public Finance Manual - gov.scot

 

Asset Transfer Data Gathering

The data gathering spreadsheet and accompanying information document were shared with all 95 relevant authorities in November/ December 2025 who were asked to provide comments.  21 relevant authorities provided comments, noting the spreadsheet was a comprehensive document that captured all the necessary information. They mentioned further information would however be helpful on valuations used and on transfers that occurred outwith the legislative route. Some additional information was asked for multiple applications for the same asset and an acknowledgement that not all information would be available since 2017, especially for earlier transfers.

Andrew provided an update on the data gathering spreadsheet, noting changes had been made to the postcode dropdown box to include land where no postcodes were known, no activity to report and also to the transfers outwith the legislative route box to clarify information requested

Updates to the information document were made to include guidance on incomplete applications, multiple applications for the same asset, valuations, information on activity since 2017 and transfers made outwith the legislation.

Andrew suggested that there may be some final minor amendments required before the version for completion is circulated to all 95 relevant authorities in April 2026 and that National Group members could send any final suggestions for change/ inclusion to Scottish Government before then.  National level data once gathered will be made openly available and published on the Scottish Government website by the end of 2026. 

Action – National Group members to consider any final changes that may be required to the spreadsheet and instructions and send to Scottish Government before April 2026.

 

Presentation: Barmulloch and Inverclyde Learning from the Hub and Spoke Models

Dr Gill Murray, Glasgow Caledonian University provided a presentation on the evaluation of two pilot projects conducted in Autumn 2024 that initiated Hub and Spoke peer-support models for asset transfer requests in Barmulloch and Inverclyde. The findings from the evaluation were divided into two broad areas; firstly, the benefits of peer-support for community organisations, and secondly, the benefits of peer-support across local community asset transfer systems.

The presentation went on to discuss how the findings could be adapted and contextualised across local authorities area, including identifying a suitable Hub organisation, and identifying how peer-support can address strengths and weaknesses in local asset transfer systems.  Findings were published in March 2025 and can be accessed here: Hub and Spoke Evaluation Report.

A discussion followed on how peer-support for asset transfers could be adapted across local authority areas, and how potential implementation would likely be influenced by local service provision. It was suggested that a link to the report could be added to the local authority Knowledge Hub to help raise awareness.   

Other local approaches to joined up models of support were discussed. Perth & Kinross Council have a community ownership forum where community groups can share their experiences of community asset transfer and provide peer support for each other as they work towards community ownership.

The group discussed the role of the Hub and Spoke model in supporting community ownership and noted that gaining peer knowledge and providing a space for operational support to new and emerging organisations can benefit community organisations engaging with community ownership. The value of the Scottish Community Alliance Community Learning Exchange programme was highlighted as another opportunity for communities to gain peer learning support

 

Part 5 Review Report – Feasibility of guidance changes

Malcolm provided a summary of potential changes to the asset transfer guidance documents which were highlighted in the Asset Transfer Review Report published in March 2025. There are two 95 page statutory guidance documents for asset transfer, one for relevant authorities and one for community transfer bodies.  A guidance discussion paper was shared with the group prior to the meeting to help inform discussions.

The Report found that:

• Case studies and Q&A would help the guidance
• The Scottish Public Finance Manual and asset transfer guidance documents need better aligned
• Relevant authorities need to improve transparency of their asset registers
• Clear information needed on costings rather than outline only
• Guidance needed on considering multiple asset transfer requests, clawback conditions, Arm’s Length Organisations, withdrawn requests and appeals
• Guidance on proportionate approaches to transfers outwith the legislation particularly for leases, available support for community organisations and state aid

It was agreed that case studies and Q&A for asset transfers would be better situated on the Community Ownership Support Service website rather than the statutory guidance documents and that some changes have already been actioned such as changes to the Scottish Public Finance Manual and some were outwith the scope of the National Group.

Procedural changes suggested in the Asset Transfer Report will need further consideration and a sub group of National Group members is to be formed to consider the scope and nature of potential changes to the guidance documents.  The sub group will first agree the approach to considering these changes and will meet online with email exchanges to share drafts. Work will be required to agree any changes and practical steps to develop and share updated versions of the guidance documents.  Members were then invited to join the sub group and Sandra Inrig, Rebecca Carr, Pauline Bradshaw and Linda Gillespie have joined.

Action – any further members interested in joining the sub group to email Malcolm.  

 

Any Other Business

The Chair reminded members of our Hot Topics standing item on the agenda and to contact Malcolm with any suggestions for future meetings.  Glasgow Caledonian University have begun a three year project on Community Wealth Building implementation in Scotland and it's economic and health impacts, and will be happy to discuss or share findings at upcoming meetings.

Linda mentioned that a book is being prepared for publication by Development Trusts Association Scotland in Autumn 2026 which will be on the theme of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in their communities and will capture the stories and changes development trusts have make in their communities over the last 20+ years

After the Jan 2026 meeting of this group, follow up discussions were held between Scottish Government Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services (RESAS) and Local Government Analytical Unit and relevant policy teams. Projects most relevant to the group from the current RESAS-commissioned ‘Land Reform Futures’ research programme are those relating to community values in land (led by Sam Poskitt, James Hutton Institute) and the impacts of community landownership in the mid to long-term (led by Annabel Pinker and Carey Doyle, James Hutton Institute). These are both primarily focused on land acquired through community right to buy routes rather than asset transfer however there may be findings relevant to the group in relation to longer term effects and impacts. Both reports are due to be completed this Spring 2026 and links can be circulated to the group when available.

Actions:

• Linda to arrange a meeting with the Community Land Ownership Academic Network
• Ciaran to share details of KLTR community transfers of ownerless land/ property with Malcolm for sharing with the group
• Members to consider any Hot Topics for future meetings and let Malcolm know

 

Next Steps

The meeting schedule for 2026 has been shared with members and the next meeting will take place on Tuesday 28th April 2026, 10.00 am – 12.00 pm, St. Andrew’s House, Edinburgh.