The Scottish Land Commission published guidance on 9 July places wellbeing as a central consideration when assessing the business case for developing vacant or derelict land.

The guidance highlights there is an estimated 11,000 hectares of such land nationally. Much of which sits in areas with the greatest poverty and deprivation. The Commission contends that using a different framework to assess the potential impact of bringing sites back into use that takes account of wider social, environmental and community benefits will be crucial to changing Scotland’s approach to land reuse.

Shona Glenn, Head of Policy and Research at the Scottish Land Commission, said:

“This is not all about private ownership and profit. Forty per cent of land on the vacant and derelict land register is owned by the public sector. In urban areas particularly, fixing dereliction could play a major role in addressing health inequalities and improving wellbeing.

Find out more and read the guidance