Parts of Land Reform Act in force from today

28th June 2016 | government-administration , property (non-commercial)

The first provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 came into force today, 28 June.

They include:

abolition of the exemption from business rates for shooting and deerstalking, making such businesses liable to business rates from April 2017;
power to local authorities to change the use of some types of common good land if they apply for court consent; and
new powers on the management of deer populations.

Ministers have previously announced that the new Scottish Land Commission will begin to operate by 1 April 2017. Other parts of the Act – including those on agricultural holdings and on landowners engaging with communities – will also begin later in the parliamentary session.

Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Roseanna Cunningham said: “These first provisions mean that we will tax shooting and deerstalking businesses in the same way as other businesses in Scotland. They also modernise the law on common good land so councils can better use this resource. Finally, they create new powers to manage wild deer populations.

“Today marks a vital next step in a wider and ongoing programme of reform across Scotland. A land rights and responsibilities statement and a Scottish Land Commission will follow. We will also support landowners to better engage with communities and will shortly begin to implement the Act’s agricultural holdings provisions.

“Implementing the Act is not the end of our land reform journey but an important step in ensuring that land in Scotland delivers benefit for everyone.”