Landmark legislation has been approved to help create new small
landholdings to increase farming opportunities and bring
agricultural tenancy law into the 21st century.
The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, passed by Parliament, grants
greater protections for tenant farmers and small landholders and
safeguarding fair compensation should they be removed from their
holding.
The Bill will give Ministers powers to split up landholdings of
over 1,000 hectares when being sold, provided that it is in the
public interest to do so.
It also modernises how new small landholdings are created and
operate, protecting their rights and helping new entrants and the
next generation of farmers to get access to land.
A consultation about the powers of the Tenant Farming
Commissioner and alternative options for dispute resolution will
also be launched in the coming weeks as a result of the Bill.
Rural Affairs Secretary said:
“Tenant farmers and small landholders are vital to the fabric of
our rural communities, and these reforms will help them to make a
decent living on their holding and make improvements on the land
they work on. It will allow them to work in a way that promotes
sustainable and regenerative agricultural production, and –
possibly most importantly – be protected from being removed from
their holding without fair compensation.
“I am happy we are able to progress in consulting on the role of
the Tenant Farming Commissioner so quickly and I would encourage
all tenant farmers, small landholders and crofters to make their
views known.
“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.
“This is an important step in our land reform journey and I am
grateful to all those who have worked with us through the
Parliamentary process.”
