Scotland’s Land Reform Bill

• Date3rd November 2015
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  • Land Reform

The Land Reform Bill for Scotland

The Land Reform Bill for Scotland currently being discussed in The Scottish Parliament, will have huge implications for landowners and agricultural businesses.

The Scottish Government’s Land Reform Bill will end tax relief for shooting estates and force the sale of land if owners are believed to be blocking economic development. The additional money raised by tax exemption, labeled the Scottish Land Fund, will help support community buyouts of land.

Conjoined with the whole issue of Land Reform are changes to the law of Agricultural Holdings, the creation of a Tenant Farming Commissioner, the letting of land and the whole issue of an absolute right to buy for tenant farmers. Government targets include more transparency in land ownership, to be detailed in the Land Register for Scotland, and one million acres of land to be in community ownership by 2020.

My appointment to the Law Society of Scotland’s Rural Affairs Committee involves providing specialist legal input to the Scottish Government on proposed legislation, like the Land Reform Bill, which will have an impact upon rural affairs. The committee members cover the whole of Scotland, however I’m the only member from the South West of Scotland. I will regularly travel to Edinburgh  to represent and discuss rural issues with the Rural Affairs Committee throughout the year.

DAVID HALL Solicitor BA, LLB, DipLP, Notary Public
Email: david@hallbaird.co.uk