OPPOSITION parties have been urged to back “the most radical land reform plans in the history of devolution” ahead of a final vote in Holyrood.
Debates on amendments to the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill were postponed at the Scottish Parliament last week following a “significant Microsoft outage”.
Voting on hundreds of amendments and the final version of the bill will see MSPs in the Holyrood chamber until around 10pm on Wednesday, according to the parliamentary schedule.
The legislation is seeking to give local communities a bigger say in decisions that impact the land they live and work in.
READ MORE: All you need to know for the Scottish Parliament Land Reform Bill vote
The bill includes plans to allow Scottish ministers lotting powers on land sales over 1000 hectares, mandatory community engagement from land owners, and the establishment of a new land and communities commissioner.
Speaking ahead of the Stage 3 vote, SNP MSP Emma Roddick said: “The SNP has a proud record on land reform – and now is the time for all parties in the Scottish Parliament to unite and back this most radical land reform legislation in the history of devolution.
“This bill builds on the 2016 Act, which created the Scottish Land Commission and continues to improve the hard-won rights of communities and tenant farmers.
“For too long, too much control over land has been hoarded by lairds and wealthy landowners – this bill marks a watershed moment and sends a clear signal that change is coming.
“This is a chance for Parliament to unite, address the root causes of many of the problems our rural communities face, and ensure that Scotland’s land can work for everyone who lives and works in it.
“I urge all parties in the Scottish Parliament to unite and back this bill.”
The Scottish Conservatives have previously said they would vote against the bill, describing it as “completely unworkable”.
On Tuesday, the Scottish Greens said they were “deeply disappointed” that the SNP and Tories voted against a proposal intended to stop landowners from hoarding land.
An amendment proposed by Green MSP Ariane Burgess to allow Scottish ministers to refuse a land sale if the buyer already owns 500 hectares of land was rejected.
Burgess said the Scottish Government “has taken the side of vested interests rather than backing Green proposals to prevent large landowners from hoarding even more of Scotland”.
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“There are far too many communities in the Highlands and Islands who are shut out of discussions about their future because the land, the housing, the local shop and the hotel are all owned by one landowner,” she said.
“It’s simply unfair to keep the door open for more communities to end up trapped in the hands of the super-rich.
“This bill could have delivered the land reform that Scotland so badly needs, but the Scottish Government has put the profits of billionaires and landowners ahead of the needs of our rural communities. "It’s a shame that we’ve seen a real lack of ambition to deliver the real land reform that is so vital.”
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