National Development Plan for Crofting

The Scottish Government has this week published its National Development Plan for Crofting.

This has been in the pipeline for a considerable length of time, but in relation to the reform of crofting law, tells us nothing new.

The plan (at page 81) gives some examples of changes proposed by the Crofting Bill Group, but this is detail we have seen before. There is a general commitment to “modernising crofting law to make it more transparent, understandable and workable”, and also to “continue to engage with stakeholders in regard to legislative reform; both of which are welcome, but don’t take us any further.

There is also a summary of the report published by the Law Society of Scotland’s Rural Affairs Sub-Committee, on this topic; again this is not new.

All of that said, there is much in National Development Plan for Crofting which is new, and interesting, and positive. The Crofting Commission are to be resourced appropriately not only to regulate effectively to deal with crofts which are not worked, or where crofters are absent, but also to take on the task once again of crofting development given to HIE after the 2010 Act, never to be heard of again). There is to be more registration of common grazings, and the Commission is to take on a more proactive role in encouraging crofters will be encouraged to pass on their crofts, and in assisting prospective crofters to find a croft. If it works, this could be a game changer. However, in my view unless the right to buy is dealt with, crofters will be reluctant to pass on crofts because of the likelihood that the land will be used for development (which is more challenging without the right to buy).

More on this as and when I work through the Plan.

Eilidh