Paul Wheelhouse, Environment and Climate Change Minister, has confirmed that the Scottish Government is to bring forward a Land Reform Bill for Scotland.

The announcement follows a report published earlier this month by the Land Reform Review Group and will build on measures due to be brought forward in the forthcoming Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill.

It is understood this new legislation is in addition to the measures already announced by the Scottish Government in response to the report. It aims to have a positive impact in both rural and urban areas.

In addition, Minister Wheelhouse also announced that the Scottish Land Fund is to be extended until at least 2020. This will provide communities time to consider and plan their projects.

Speaking at a conference in Skye, Minister Wheelhouse said: "The Review Group's report was a major milestone in taking forward Scotland's land reform journey and I welcome its vision and the significant contribution the report makes to the debate in Scotland.


"Over the coming weeks and months the Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament and Scottish society will have time to consider the report.

"By bringing forward a Land Reform Bill, before the end of the current term of the Scottish Parliament, we will take forward the direction of travel laid out in the report. The Bill will be another significant step forward in ensuring our land is used in the public interest and to the benefit of the people of Scotland.

"My vision, and that of my colleagues, for Scotland is for a fairer, wider and more equitable, distribution of land across our nation, where communities and individuals have access to land and the Land Reform Bill will enable much of this to happen."

Commenting on the Scottish Land Fund announcement, he added: "This government is committed to maintaining the Scottish Land Fund until at least until 2020. This will give greater confidence to communities to consider community land ownership and time to work up their plans.

"This is an especially important consideration as plans do not just happen: projects need time to develop, and this can sometimes be a year or two or more.

"It would allow for a growing interest and confidence in the sector which is important in underpinning the growth in community ownership of land as we move towards the million acres target announced by the First Minister at this conference a year ago."

(JP/IT)