Common good assets are held for the benefit of local residents of former burghs, they can be found in cities, towns and villages across the country, and often include some of the most locally cherished land and buildings such as town halls and parks.

Local authorities are currently responsible for the management of the common good assets in their area, and the research published today shows that management approaches, and community engagement in decisions relating to those assets, can vary significantly across the country.

Alongside the report, the Land Commission has also published a new Land Focus briefing paper on common good assets. In the paper the commission suggests that it could be possible to create new common good with new legislation – but only if the purpose and benefits of having common good were much clearer.

Hamish Trench, chief executive of Scottish Land Commission said: “The Scottish government has asked the Land Commission to look at how greater benefit could be delivered for communities through the common good.

“Scotland’s common good assets are worth hundreds of millions of pounds, the vast majority of which is accounted for by urban land and property from which it is possible to derive significant community, local economic, and environmental benefit, with the right governance and legal framework.

“But for many people there are questions about how the common good is managed, whether it could be put to better use, and what its purpose is in the 21st century.

“We want to explore options for modernising Scotland’s framework for common good land and buildings and consider ways it could be a catalyst to realise benefits of community empowerment, ownership and regeneration in towns and cities.

“The work we have published today sets out some initial thinking, and we look forward to promoting discussion on how common good could be at the heart of new ways to unlock public value from Scotland’s land assets.”