Land tenure change and rural housing in Scotland

Abstract

This paper aims to define and illustrate the ways in which a change in land tenure can impact on housing provision. It looks in particular at rural Scotland. The paper interprets interview data gathered on the isle of Gigha, a small island off the west coast of Scotland in the spring of 2005. Three years earlier, Gigha had been purchased by its residents from a single, private landowner. The paper finds that the process and nature of ownership change have fundamentally reshaped economic, social and political relationships governing housing provision. The paper concludes by reflecting on the significance of the findings.

Does community ownership affect public attitudes to wind energy? A case study from south-west Scotland

“…Equally, all the mainland windfarms can be seen from the island. Gigha already had an unusually high public profile because it was the object of a community buy-out in 2002 (Satsangi, 2007), one of an increasing number of community purchases during the current phase of land reform in Scotland (Warren, 2002(Warren, , 2009Bryden and Geisler, 2007). In common with many coastal communities in Scotland (Barker, 2005), Gigha has had a socio-economically troubled recent history, resulting in job losses, out-migration and a falling primary school roll.…”

Community Land Ownership, Housing and Sustainable Rural Communities

“…The categories here relate to settlement size and travel time to a major urban centre. This provides more information than simple 'urban-rural' comparison but masks the heterogeneity of rural labour and housing markets (for examples of this type of classification, see Satsangi & Dunmore, 2003;Satsangi, 2007). Local economic buoyancy and population growth are of course visible signs of economic success, and looking at evidence for Scotland, Sweden, Germany and Greece, Bryden and Hart (2001, p. 41) argue that successful rural areas can be distinguished from others by:…”

“…It is important to remember that community land ownership of the type envisaged by the land reform legislation has a long history in Britain; nationally, Scotland's longest established community owner, the Stornoway Trust on the Isle of Lewis, dates to 1923 (Satsangi, 2007). After a long period of silence, there was a resurgence of interest in the 1990s when a number of crofting communities bought the land they tenanted.…”

“…The extent to which it can be imported north of the Border has not to date been answered empirically. Drawing on arrange of literature and survey data for Scotland, Satsangi (2007) argued that the power of the landowner has, in both historical and contemporary Scotland, been the institution that has shaped the fate of rural communities. Following Lukes (1974), the exercise of power can be seen in three dimensions-decision-making (Lukes' first dimension), agenda-setting (the second) and in being unconsciously adopted (the third dimension).…”

The power of the process: Co-producing a sustainability assessment toolkit for upland estate management in Scotland

“…Also, the need for affordable housing in rural areas was a key concern of several panellists, which raised the question of the extent to which the landowner can play in delivering more affordable, high-quality rental (or sale) properties on estate land. Whilst the power of the landowner has, in both historical and contemporary Scotland, been the institution that has "shaped the fate of rural communities" (Satsangi, 2007), a Rural Homes for Rent grant was introduced as pilot scheme by the Scottish Government in 2008. This grant allows rural landowners to apply for funding in order to boost the number of affordable homes available for rent on their land.…”