Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP): application form

Aims and objectives

Vacant and derelict sites have a negative impact on communities, particularly in more deprived areas. Figures from 2020 showed that Scotland has more than 11,000 hectares of derelict land. 

There is potential for many of these sites to be transformed into assets which provide benefits to local communities, including green space for health and wellbeing, growing spaces, community facilities, low carbon affordable housing, renewables and business use. 

The Low Carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Programme is a five-year £50 million competitive fund to bring abandoned sites back into use for community and environmental benefit. 

It aims to help: 

• enhance places and regenerate communities 
• tackle disadvantage and inequality 
• meet climate change targets 
• attract private investment and create economic growth 

Total available funding for each year of the programme is shown below. 

The VDLIP supports place-based approaches to delivering regeneration and inclusive growth and is aligned to the Place Principle. It complements the Place Based Investment Programme which aims to link and align all place based funding initiatives. The aim is to ensure we have a coherent approach to sustained longer-term regeneration, promoting the resilience, health and wellbeing of communities across Scotland.

The VDLIP is being delivered in this context and with four pillars of action:  

• sustained place-based approaches 
• urban green spaces 
• community-led regeneration 
• low carbon developments and renewables, including housing 

Projects supported from the VDLIP will reflect the following strategic areas of priority and core principles (and will deliver across the National Outcomes):  

• The Place Principle 
• Regeneration Strategy 
• Town Centre Action Plan and Town Centre First Principle 
• Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 
• Climate Change Plan 
• Climate Action Towns 
• National Planning Framework 4  
• Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation 
• Community Wealth Building 
• Securing Positive Effects for Biodiversity 
• Public Health Scotland’s strategic plan 
• Fair Work and Pay