Community land rights seminar hailed a success

More than 80 people took part in a very successful seminar in Edinburgh yesterday on the subject of “New rights for communities to buy land and acquire public assets”.

The seminar was organised by Public Policy Events, with support from Scottish Legal News, Scottish Construction News, and Scottish Housing News. There was a good turn-out at the event from local and central government, along with other public sector bodies, as well as representatives from community organisations interested in using the new powers available to them.

Advocates Brian Crook and David Anderson talked about the new rights given to community bodies to take over public sector land and property. The community right to buy land, which has now been extended to urban Scotland, was the subject of a talk by another advocate, Mark Lazarowicz, along with case studies of community bids which have been made under that new legislation.

Linsay Chalmers from Community Land Scotland highlighted the support and advice which her organisation can give to local communities which are thinking about making a bid under the community empowerment and land reform legislation.