Scottish Government launches land use consultation

The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on the future of land use in the country.

Discussions are to take place over the next ten weeks on the draft Land Use Strategy 2016 – 2021.

The draft sets out a range of policies and proposals, including:

• How to manage natural resources, including continued use of an ecosystems approach to land use decisions.

• Developing and implementing activities to promote climate friendly farming and crofting.

• An exploration of the relationship between ownership, use and management of land including consideration of the potential advantages of a single policy statement about land.

• Encouraging regional land use partnerships to bring a range of interests together to consider land use at a local level.

All those with an interest in land use and management are invited to take part, the Scottish Government has said.

Environment minister Aileen McLeod said: “Scotland’s land is the subject of an energising and exciting debate as never before. Radical legislation, such as the recently passed Community Empowerment Act and the Land Reform Bill, currently before parliament, have brought a new focus on land use.

“Land has never been a more precious resource and so this consultation is an opportunity for people to have their say on how we make a step change towards a more integrated and strategic approach to land use.

“Scotland’s first Land Use Strategy was published in 2011 and, at that time, represented a unique, new approach to this important policy area. Since then we have completed the significant commitments in the first Strategy, we have initiated and completed two very successful land use pilot projects in Aberdeenshire and the Scottish Borders as well as considerable interest in our work from those outside Scotland.

“This updated strategy sets out our priorities for the next five years and I would encourage all those with an interest in the future of Scotland’s land to respond to the consultation.”

The consultation will run until 29 January 2016.

For more information, visit here.