Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey 2019

Data collection undertaken to establish the extent and state of vacant and derelict land in Scotland. The data is sourced from local authorities and the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority.

This document is part of a collection


6. Derelict and Urban Vacant Land: Location and Trends

6.1 In 2019 there were 10,926 hectares of derelict and urban vacant land, of which 81% (8,866 hectares) was classified as derelict. Four councils (East Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Highland and North Ayrshire) together contain just over 50% of all recorded derelict and urban vacant land.

Table 2 - Derelict and Urban Vacant Land by Planning Authority 1
Local Authority Derelict Land Urban Vacant Land5 Total Derelict
and Urban Vacant Land5
Area
(ha)
% of Derelict Land (by Area)2 No. of Sites Area
(ha)
% of Urban Vacant Land (by Area)2 No. of Sites Area
(ha)
% of Total V&D Land (by Area)2 No. of Sites
Aberdeen City 13 * 15 39 2 28 52 * 43
Aberdeenshire 42 * 29 34 2 31 76 1 60
Angus 223 3 20 98 5 41 321 3 61
Argyll and Bute3 38 * 11 18 1 24 56 1 35
Clackmannanshire 41 * 12 11 1 14 52 * 26
Dumfries and Galloway 294 3 44 28 1 8 323 3 52
Dundee City 14 * 17 177 9 168 191 2 185
East Ayrshire 1,736 20 79 65 3 53 1,801 16 132
East Dunbartonshire 43 * 10 25 1 13 68 1 23
East Lothian 79 1 30 10 * 10 88 1 40
East Renfrewshire 34 * 22 16 1 17 50 * 39
City of Edinburgh 87 1 23 64 3 36 151 1 59
Falkirk 194 2 46 64 3 28 258 2 74
Fife 600 7 160 120 6 57 721 7 217
Glasgow City 530 6 242 424 21 446 954 9 688
Highland4 1,276 14 103 66 3 81 1,342 12 184
Inverclyde 59 1 46 93 5 56 151 1 102
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park3 6 * 7 1 * 2 7 * 9
Midlothian 100 1 36 22 1 18 121 1 54
Moray 7 * 7 8 * 11 15 * 18
Na h-Eileanan Siar * * 1 8 * 2 8 * 3
North Ayrshire 1,011 11 109 176 9 101 1,187 11 210
North Lanarkshire 1,218 14 400 169 8 112 1,387 13 512
Orkney Islands 32 * 1 . - . 32 * 1
Perth and Kinross3 24 * 45 36 2 17 60 1 62
Renfrewshire 149 2 25 82 4 76 231 2 101
Scottish Borders 46 1 58 21 1 13 67 1 71
Shetland Islands 6 * 6 1 * 2 7 * 8
South Ayrshire 110 1 61 18 1 18 128 1 79
South Lanarkshire 291 3 108 86 4 91 377 3 199
Stirling3 110 1 14 26 1 19 136 1 33
West Dunbartonshire3 148 2 56 15 1 14 163 1 70
West Lothian 304 3 43 39 2 17 343 3 60
Scotland 8,866 100 1,886 2,060 100 1,624 10,926 100 3,510

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.

2. As a percentage of the total vacant/derelict land recorded in Scotland.

3. From 2011 Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park took responsibility for surveying vacant and derelict land within the park boundaries. These sites are no longer recorded in Argyll and Bute, Perth and Kinross, Stirling and West Dunbartonshire local authority boundaries, and are separately identifiable as Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park from 2011. Prior to 2011, these sites were classified within the relevant local authority boundary.

4. Highland has not updated their survey since 2015, their 2019 figures have been carried over from 2015.

5. Figures do not include urban vacant sites in settlements with a population of less than 2,000. These are reported separately in the Annex.

6.2 3,510 sites were recorded in the 2019 survey. The seventeen largest sites (each over 100 hectares) collectively account for 3,293 hectares - 30% of all recorded derelict and urban vacant land. Those sites, all of which are derelict, include eight of the former opencast coal sites in East Ayrshire (1,240 hectares), Fearn and Fendom Airfields (collectively 681 hectares) and Ardersier Port (255 hectares) in Highland, two sites in North Ayrshire (553 hectares), a former airfield in Dumfries and Galloway (185 hectares), disused railway lines in Angus (165 hectares), the former Ravenscraig site in North Lanarkshire (111 hectares) and a former Royal Ordnance site at Bishopton, Renfrewshire (104 hectares).

In addition, a 170-hectare site, the former airbase at Edzell, Aberdeenshire is not included in the above figures but is noted as a vacant site in a small settlement (Annex Table 2).

6.3 There are 27 hectares of urban vacant and derelict land located within Scotland’s National Parks with 26% (7 hectares) in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs (LLTNP) and 74% (20 hectares) in Cairngorms (CNP).

Table 3 - Derelict and Urban Vacant Land located within Scotland's National Parks 1,3
National Park Derelict Land Urban Vacant Land Total Derelict and Urban Vacant Land
Area (ha) % of Derelict Land (by Area)2 No. of Sites Area (ha) % of Urban Vacant Land (by Area)2 No. of Sites Area (ha) % of Total V&D Land (by Area)2 No. of Sites
Cairngorms 13 68% 9 7 91% 7 20 74% 16
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs 6 32% 7 1 9% 2 7 26% 9
Total 20 100% 16 8 100% 9 27 100% 25

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.

2. As a percentage of the total vacant/derelict land recorded in Scotland's National Parks.

3. Figures do not include urban vacant sites in settlements with a population of less than 2,000. These are reported separately in the Annex.

6.4 There are 5,571 hectares of derelict and urban vacant land located within Scotland’s Strategic Development Plan (SDP) areas.

Table 4 - Derelict and Urban Vacant Land located within Scotland's Strategic Development Plan Areas 1,3
Strategic Development Plan Area Derelict Land Urban Vacant Land Total Derelict and Urban Vacant Land
Area (ha) % of Derelict Land (by Area)2 No. of Sites Area (ha) % of Urban Vacant Land (by Area)2 No. of Sites Area (ha) % of Total V&D Land (by Area)2 No. of Sites
Aberdeen City & Shire 55 1% 43 73 5% 59 128 2% 102
Clydeplan 2,471 62% 909 911 58% 825 3,381 61% 1,734
SESplan 1,157 29% 307 269 17% 144 1,426 26% 451
TAYplan 319 8% 124 317 20% 233 636 11% 357
Total 4,002 100% 1383 1,570 100% 1261 5,571 100% 2,644

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.

2. As a percentage of total vacant/derelict land recorded in Scotland's Strategic Development Plan Areas.

3. Figures do not include urban vacant sites in settlements with a population of less than 2,000. These are reported separately in the Annex.

The SDP areas comprise:

  • Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Plan Area (Aberdeen City and Shire):
  • Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Strategic Development Plan area (Clydeplan):

Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire local authority areas (except the part of Aberdeenshire that forms part of CNP).

East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire local authority areas (except the part of West Dunbartonshire that forms part of of Loch Lomond and The Trosschs National Park).

  • Edinburgh and South East Scotland Strategic Development Plan area (SESplan):

City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders, West Lothian and Fife (Kirkcaldy, Mid-Fife and Dunfermline local planning areas only) local authority areas.

  • Dundee, Perth, Angus and North Fife Strategic Development Plan area (TAYplan): Angus (except the part of Angus that forms part of Cairngorms National Park), Dundee City, Perth and Kinross (except the part of Perth and Kinross that forms part of Loch Lomond and The Trosschs National Park) and Fife (St. Andrews and North Fife local planning areas only) local authority areas.

More information about SDP areas is available from Planning Circular 1/2013 on the Scottish Government website.

6.5 Table 5 shows the area of recorded derelict and urban vacant land from 2013 to 2019. A small number of councils did not participate in every survey during those years. In these cases, the previous years’ data is rolled forward until new data becomes available. Highland has not updated their data since 2015 so data for Highland is carried over from 2015 in this report. Details of participation in the survey is available in Annex Table 5.

6.6 Since the last survey there has been a net decrease of 164 hectares (1.5%) in Scotland’s total amount of derelict and urban vacant land, from 11,090 hectares in 2018 to 10,926 hectares in 2019. This net change is caused by the rehabilitation and reuse of some sites and others becoming vacant or derelict. In addition, there have been changes in the recorded areas of existing sites while other sites have become naturalised.

6.7 The total amount of derelict and urban vacant land in Scotland has shown a net decrease of 3% since 2013 (from 11,223 hectares in 2013 to 10,926 hectares in 2019). Excluding derelict mineral sites, the total amount of derelict and urban vacant land has decreased from 9,288 hectares in 2013 to 7,876 hectares in 2019 (15% decrease).

6.8 Changes in the recorded areas of derelict and urban vacant land since 2013 vary by council. 20 councils had decreases in levels of recorded derelict and urban vacant land, including Renfrewshire (down 76%), Midlothian (down 55%) and Dumfries and Galloway (down 34%). Twelve councils recorded more in 2019 than they did in 2013, including East Ayrshire with more than four times as much, Angus with an 85% increase and Clackmannanshire with an 84% increase. Aberdeen City reported the same area in 2019 and 2013 although there have been changes over the years between. Percentage changes for some councils are volatile due to there being only a small base of recorded land in 2013.

Table 5 - Total Derelict and Urban Vacant Land by Planning Authority, 2013-2019 1,2,3
Local Authority Total Derelict and Urban Vacant Land Area (ha)7 % Change 2013-20195
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Aberdeen City 52 47 38 38 35 43 52 0%
Aberdeenshire 75 71 71 79 80 79 76 2%
Angus 173 183 164 142 144 281 321 85%
Argyll and Bute4 34 31 59 58 58 58 56 67%
Clackmannanshire 28 36 32 74 64 57 52 84%
Dumfries and Galloway 492 491 463 465 320 320 323 -34%
Dundee City 196 211 215 204 182 184 191 -3%
East Ayrshire 351 2,553 2,541 2,457 2,401 1,810 1,801 413%
East Dunbartonshire 66 62 71 77 76 69 68 2%
East Lothian 72 70 91 95 92 88 88 22%
East Renfrewshire 60 60 55 55 51 52 50 -16%
City of Edinburgh 213 208 184 168 178 165 151 -29%
Falkirk 173 187 200 246 286 277 258 49%
Fife 948 954 744 741 743 740 721 -24%
Glasgow City 1,196 1,171 1,145 1,111 1,069 1,005 954 -20%
Highland6 1,382 1,373 1,342 1,342 1,342 1,342 1,342 -3%
Inverclyde 149 146 163 160 156 155 151 2%
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park4 30 30 27 27 27 7 7 -77%
Midlothian 272 217 201 192 122 121 121 -55%
Moray 22 21 15 15 15 16 15 -28%
Na h-Eileanan Siar 10 10 10 9 9 8 8 -22%
North Ayrshire 1,349 1,356 1,346 1,341 1,346 1,279 1,187 -12%
North Lanarkshire 1,318 1,313 1,278 1,243 1,298 1,361 1,387 5%
Orkney Islands 39 39 39 39 39 32 32 -19%
Perth and Kinross4 56 71 73 65 59 59 60 6%
Renfrewshire 957 927 913 860 272 255 231 -76%
Scottish Borders 82 76 75 75 70 68 67 -19%
Shetland Islands 8 7 6 6 7 7 7 -15%
South Ayrshire 102 101 107 106 105 118 128 26%
South Lanarkshire 475 472 461 411 422 390 377 -21%
Stirling4 167 156 155 143 140 136 136 -19%
West Dunbartonshire4 188 189 182 171 165 168 163 -13%
West Lothian 485 491 420 420 420 341 343 -29%
Scotland 11,223 13,328 12,885 12,635 11,792 11,090 10,926 -3%

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.

2. See Annex Table 5 for details of council participation in different years.

3. During 2019, historical data for the years 2013-2018 were updated as a result of improved information. This included removing sites that should not have been included in previous years, adding sites that should have been included earlier and making any required changes to site size. Further information on this process is available in the Annex along with un-amended historical data for the survey years of 2000-2011.

4. From 2011 Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park took responsibility for surveying vacant and derelict land within the park boundaries. These sites are no longer recorded in Argyll and Bute, Perth and Kinross, Stirling and West Dunbartonshire local authority boundaries, and are separately identifiable as Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park from 2011. Prior to 2011 these sites were classified within the relevant local authority boundary.

5. Previous SVDLS bulletins have used different base years for percentage change and so these percentages should not be compared with those in previous bulletins.

6. Highland has not updated their survey since 2015, their 2019 figures have been carried over from 2015.

7. Figures do not include urban vacant sites in settlements with a population of less than 2,000. These are reported separately in the Annex.

Contact

Email: planstats@gov.scot

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