SNP given ‘utterly absurd’ power to break up lairds’ estates

SNP ministers will be given the power to break up Scotland’s estates into smaller plots when they are sold after the controversial plans were overwhelmingly approved at Holyrood.

MSPs passed the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill by 85 votes to 28, with nine abstentions. The Tories, who opposed the legislation, called it “state overreach by the SNP into the rural way of life”.

The Bill gives SNP ministers the power to force those selling more than 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) of land to dispose of it in lots, rather than as a whole.

In each case, they must decide whether the public interest would be served by dividing up a large landholding. They have argued the power is needed to reduce the concentration of land ownership in Scotland.

Among the Bill’s other measures are forcing large landholders to publish a land management plan after consulting local communities. Those who fail to do so can be fined £40,000.

They will also be banned from selling a large landholding, or any part of it, without first notifying SNP ministers to give community bodies the chance to register an interest in buying a plot.

Campaigners estimate that a third of Scotland’s land belongs to fewer than 360 owners and the SNP has introduced a series of reforms to try to dilute this.

‘Absurd SNP acting as an estate agent’

Ministers have argued that the process of “lotting” will make rural communities more sustainable, by giving locals more of a chance to buy land. However, landowners have argued that scale is required to leverage in private investment.

Scottish Land & Estates said it was “utterly absurd” for SNP ministers to be “effectively acting as an estate agent” and warned of court challenges.

MSPs debated more than 400 amendments to the legislation before it passed in a final vote just after 7pm on Wednesday.

Mairi Gougeon, the SNP’s Rural Affairs Secretary, said: “Scotland’s concentrated patterns of ownership developed over centuries, with ownership and control of our nation’s land in the hands of the few for too long. 

“In future, communities will have advance notice of sales of large land holdings and Ministers will have the powers to pause them to allow the option of a Right to Buy application to be explored.”

But Sarah-Jane Laing, Scottish Land & Estates chief executive, said landowners, land-reform campaigners, lawyers, property agents and accountants had all united against the “junk law”.

She said: “The reality is that many of the Bill’s provisions are so badly drafted that it will take years of additional work by government and others before they can be implemented in practice – and some may never come into effect at all.

“No one emerges as a winner from this – not government, not landowners, not rural businesses, not communities, and certainly not the taxpayer who will bear much of the cost of the added bureaucracy.

“The only likely beneficiaries will be lawyers, as property transactions become more complex and the prospect of this Act being the subject of a challenge before the courts.”

Tim Eagle, the Scottish Tories’ Shadow Rural Affairs and Land Reform Secretary, said: “This is the latest example of an unworkable and devastating piece of SNP legislation that will severely damage rural Scotland – just like previous Land Reform bills.

“SNP ministers had a perfect opportunity to listen to the concerns of those who drive our economy in rural Scotland throughout this debate, but typically decided they know what’s best.”

Rhoda Grant, Scottish Labour’s land reform spokeswoman, said: “We support any improvements to Scotland’s land management, but this weak bill is largely tinkering around the edges.

“The only significant change is to introduce untested lotting provisions and to take steps to stop off market sales.”

[Source: Daily Telegraph]