Consultation on the Draft Crofting Reform Bill

The Minister for Environment, Roseanna Cunningham MSP, published a draft Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill, for consultation on 19 May 2009. It sets out proposals for changes in crofting legislation that would implement the proposals set out in the Government’s response to the final report of the Committee of Inquiry on Crofting.
The areas of the Government’s reform programme that require changes to legislation are as follows:
• Changes to the governance arrangements for crofting;
• Arrangements for a new Register of Crofts;
• Better enforcement of requirement of crofters and owner-occupiers to reside on or near the croft and to work the land;
• Powers to enable crofters to grant standard securities over their crofts;
• An occupancy requirement on housing built on land taken out of crofting tenure in order to tackle speculation on croft land;

A 12 week consultation is taking place on the draft Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill, which will close on 12 August 2009. The following link will take you to the consultation document. Details of the address to send written responses are included in the consultation document.
www.scotland.gov.uk/CroftingReformConsultation
www.scotland.gov.uk/CroftingReformConsultation-Gaelic

In addition to the written consultation, the Government has arranged a series of public meetings where there will be an opportunity to hear a presentation on the draft Bill and the opportunity to ask questions and make comments on the proposed Bill. The public meetings will take place at the following venues on the following dates.

Public Meetings (7.30pm – 9.00PM):

1 June – Kirkwall, Orkney (Picaquoy Centre – Skerries Meeting Room, Muddiesfield Rd)
2 June – Lerwick, Shetland (The Town Hall, Hillhead)
3 June – Mid Yell, Shetland (Mid Yell Community Hall)
8 June – Inverness (Craigmonie Hotel, 3 Annefield Rd)
9 June – Lairg (Lairg Community Association Hall, Main St)
10 June – Durness (Durness Village Hall)
11 June – Poolewe (Poolewe Village Hall – 8pm start)
15 June – Grantown-on-Spey (Ben Mhor Hotel, 53-57 High St)
16 June – Broadford, Skye (Broadford Village Hall)
17 June – Fort William (Lochabra Hall, High St)
18 June – Connel, Nr Oban (Falls of Lora Hotel, Connel Ferry)
22 June – Tiree Rural Centre (Crospol, Isle of Tiree)
24 June – Brodick, Isle of Arran (Brodick Community Hall)
25 June – Bowmore, Isle of Islay (Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle, Gartnatra)
29 June – Stornoway, Isle of Lewis (Cabarfeidh Hotel, 11 James St)
30 June – Tarbert, Isle of Harris (Harris Hotel)
1 July – Lioncleit, Isle of Benbecula (Dark Island Hotel)

Article by SCF

21 May 2009

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