Number of community-owned assets in Scotland grew by 7% last year

The number of assets under community ownership is continuing to grow and rose by 7% last year.

At the end of last year, there were 711 assets owned by 484 community groups covering an area of 211,998 hectares.

Figures from the Scottish Government show the number of assets has been rising steadily since the year 2000, when there were 84 assets under community ownership.

Most assets are areas of land or buildings in remote rural places.

In July, ministers launched a consultation on a new Land Reform Bill which they said would be “transformative”.

Land Reform Minister Mairi McAllan said: “Communities know best what’s right for them, including when it comes to how they own and use local land and buildings.

“So it’s great to see that the number of assets known to be in community ownership has increased eightfold over the past 20 years.

“In addition, now there is almost four times as much community-owned land compared to the year 2000.

“These sustained upwards trends in community ownership show real progress and delivery of the Scottish Government’s ambitions for land reform.”

She continued: “Our 2016 Land Reform Act made various changes to land ownership and management and established the Scottish Land Commission.

“And the Scottish Land Fund has over a number of years helped many community groups bring their visions for thriving local assets to life.

“While this is positive, we know there is much more work to be done.

“We are tackling the adverse effects of scale and concentration of land ownership – and empowering communities in the process.

“That is why we are consulting on a wide range of proposals for our ambitious new Land Reform Bill, which will be introduced by the end of 2023.

“The Bill will be a significant step forward in ensuring our land is owned and used in the public interest and to the benefit of the people of Scotland.”