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News Release from: Forestry Commission | Subject: Right to buy national forest land
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 22 June 2005
Communities right to buy national forest
land
A scheme that enables communities around Scotland to buy publicly owned forests managed by Forestry Commission Scotland, without waiting for the Commission to put them up for sale first.
A scheme that enables communities around Scotland to buy publicly owned forests managed by Forestry Commission Scotland, without waiting for the Commission to put them up for sale first, was launched by Scottish Forestry Minister Lewis Macdonald The new National Forest Land Scheme also provides for the Commission to sell national forest land for affordable housing to housing associations and trusts, and for "sponsored" land sales, where communities will have opportunities to buy surplus national forest land that the Commission proposes to sell
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 15 Jul 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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The scheme builds on the Right to Buy principles enshrined in Scotland's Land Reform Act, but goes a step further by enabling communities to initiate discussions where Forestry Commission land is not actually on the market.
It was launched at a ceremony in Abriachan, Inverness-shire, which in 1998 was the scene of one of the first community buy-outs of national forest land.
Launching the scheme, Lewis Macdonald said, "We are keen to involve communities in the management of national forest land in ways ranging from consultation, through participation and partnerships, to leasing or purchase, and Forestry Commission Scotland is already working in partnerships with more than 80 communities".
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""The National Forest Land Scheme is a new and exciting way of furthering this work.
"This scheme takes the land reform agenda a further step forward by giving communities the opportunity to initiate the purchase of national forest land to provide increased public benefits." The second part of the scheme builds on work already done by the Commission and Communities Scotland to identify plots of national forest land, in areas of housing need, that the Commission could release for affordable housing.
Lewis Macdonald added: "We recognise the need to address housing need in many of our rural communities".
"At the same time, we will also take the opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of building in timber".
"It will be an aim of the National Forest Land Scheme that all developments by housing associations on national forest land will be built using timber that is certified as coming from a sustainable source".
The third part of the scheme provides for the "sponsored" sale to communities of land that is surplus to the Commission's requirements without its being placed on the open market where its sale to the local community would be in the public interest.
This aspect of the new scheme replaces the previous Sponsorship Scheme, which has now closed, and provides in its place a more transparent and easy-to-follow scheme.
The National Forest Land Scheme also provides for leasing national forest land to communities, although the Commission will retain statutory responsibility for woodland management on this land.
The Minister also announced the eight members of the National Forest Land Scheme Evaluation Panel, which will advise the Commission on applications to the scheme.
All eight are members of the Commission's regional Forestry Forums, which advise the Commission on local issues.
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