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Call for new £10 million for land buyout fund         10/9/11

Scotland's community landowners are calling for the establishment of new Scottish Land Fund.

Community Land Scotland which represents land buyout groups wants a new fund to be pump-primed with £10 million over the coming four years. Highlands and Islands Enterprise should administer the scheme, recommends a submission made to ministers.

The SNP Government  made a pre-election pledge to publish their proposals for a new Scottish Land Fund before the end of the year.

Community Land Scotland Chairman, David Cameron said: “The commitment to the principle of a new Scottish Land Fund was significant and welcome.  However, we now need to shape definite proposals and start promoting new initiatives and supporting communities that want to buy their land.

“Community land ownership is one of the most powerful drivers of new enterprise and initiative in some of our most challenged and fragile communities. The evidence of the past is that a fund of £10 million will be needed to span the four coming years, if it is to drive progress forward."

David Cameron added: "It is appropriate that we publish our ambitions for the new Scottish Land Fund in the week that the Parliament returns for a new session.

“Creating the new Scottish Land Fund ought to be one of the important issues the Parliament debates over coming months. We will be briefing MSPs on the enormous benefits which are to be gained in Scotland from more communities taking control of their land.

“We look forward to helping the Scottish Government deliver its commitment to the new Fund. The evidence shows that when communities purchase the land on which they live and work, powerful new initiatives follow, halting decline, creating jobs and diversifying the local economy.

“The expansion of Community land ownership is among the most exciting things to have happened to Scotland in recent years, and we need to see fresh momentum built."