Anger sparked over MSP proposal to limit land ownership

A Labour MSP has launched a bid to limit land ownership in Scotland, prompting anger in the farming sector.

Mercedes Villalba lodged a proposal for a Land Ownership and Public Interest Bill this week, which would introduce a presumed limit of 500ha on individual sales or transfers of land, with sales over this limit subject to a public interest test.

See also: Strong Scottish market sees more land sold in 2022

Though a comprehensive list of who owns all the land in Scotland is not yet available, a Scottish Affairs Select Committee report from 2013 suggested just 432 landowners accounted for about half of all privately owned land in the country.

Ms Villalba said she was introducing the legislation on Twitter, asking “Who should own Scotland’s land, the many or the few?”

But Sarah-Jane Laing, chief executive of Scottish Land and Estates, warned the bill would drag family-owned farms into its scope.

She said: “The most recent Scottish farm business income survey, published in March by the Scottish government, stated that the average size of a cattle and sheep farm in a less favoured area [LFA] was 815ha, while specialist sheep farms in LFA areas averaged 945ha – way over the 500ha threshold proposed.

“Ms Villalba herself acknowledges that many of these farms are family-owned. They are only viable by being managed at scale, despite many struggling for profitability. This bill seeks to place further obligations and bureaucracy upon them for little defined benefit.”

Ms Villalba’s bill will now be subject to consultation until Tuesday 12 September. It is unlikely to become law, given it is being proposed by an opposition MP.

But the Scottish government consulted last year on its own plans for land ownership reform, proposing sales of more than 3,000ha of land should be subject to a public interest test.

More than 500 responses to that consultation were received, of which 162 were from groups or organisations and 375 from individuals.

In its analysis of the responses, the Scottish government said 55% disagreed with the 3,000ha threshold, with most calling for a lower figure, leading to concern that ministers will lower the threshold to a similar level to Ms Villalba’s bill.