Rural estates and farming businesses are urging politicians to rethink proposed land reform measures as the Land Reform Bill reaches a critical ‘make-or-break’ stage – warning they will result in lasting damage to Scotland’s rural economy.
As the bill enters Stage 2 of the parliamentary process, Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) called on MSPs to embrace the fulsome support Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes gave to rural estates only last week for their key role in delivering for people, jobs and nature.
SLE says the bill as it stands is unworkable and will punish businesses across the rural sector.
Sarah-Jane Laing, chief executive of Scottish Land & Estates, said, “The Deputy First Minister could not have been clearer in her recognition of the important contribution of rural estates, stating ‘your success is our success’. She also said it was vital that government listened to the concerns of these businesses that are providing jobs, housing, food, energy, tourism and leisure as well as tackling climate change. Now is the hour for MSPs to listen and rescue the Land Reform Bill.”
The bill has previously been subject to significant criticism, with the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport (NZET) Committee stating that Part 1 of the bill in particular “risks not delivering, with its approach seen as potentially burdensome and bureaucratic.”
Laing said, “The bill is now entering a critical make-or-break phase where government and politicians either address the fundamental problems with the legislation – or double down and create havoc for Scotland’s rural economy and communities.
“With more than 500 amendments tabled at Stage 2, it’s clear the original bill was poorly conceived – a view echoed by the parliamentary committee tasked with scrutinising it. Yet alarmingly, some MSPs appear intent on deepening confusion rather than providing clarity, pushing for measures that would only increase the burden on rural businesses.”
In its briefing to MSPs on the bill ahead of Stage 2 committee sessions beginning this week, Scottish Land & Estates said:
- Lotting powers and sale prohibitions raise concerns regarding market viability, legal compliance, and sustainable land use
- SLE does not object to land management plans in principle – but some proposed amendments risk adding to, rather than solving, the bureaucratic burden with the potential to create conflict rather than effective engagement
- Amendments seeking to reduce the threshold for large land holdings to 500 hectares, and thereby drag more family farms into land reform red tape, would be deeply damaging
- The organisation is supportive of amendments which scrap the proposed Land and Communities Commissioner role and place the powers and duties with existing Land Commissioners
Laing added, “The bill would effectively see the government take on the role of estate agent, with powers to break up farms, forests, and estates over 1,000 hectares when they come to market. Even more concerning, new rules could block the sale of any land – regardless of size – unless ministers give approval. That could include something as routine as selling a strip of land to extend a garden, improve infrastructure, or enable housing or renewable energy projects.
“This should concern all landowners, from large estates to family farms. Several proposed amendments would lower the thresholds at which these heavy-handed rules apply, dragging even more farming businesses into a thicket of red tape involving land management plans and transfer tests.”
“Yet when it comes to the Land Reform Bill, we see some within government and certain political parties reaching instinctively for punitive measures that risk harming the very estates they’ve acknowledged as vital to Scotland’s future. It is disappointing that too many politicians remain stuck in outdated narratives about rural landownership. We would urge them to put ideology aside and focus instead on what truly benefits rural Scotland – partnership, progress, and a shared commitment to thriving communities.”