Land Reform Bill Published - Major U-turn On Access

Commenting on the publication today [Wednesday] of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, Ms Roseanna Cunningham MSP the Scottish National Party's Shadow Minister for Justice and Land Reform, who has campaigned to ensure that a declared presumption in favour of access was clearly stated in the Bill, said:

"On access, this is a complete and utter u-turn by the Executive but there are still real areas of concern.

"Local authorities still retain too much power to close down access to land or exclude particular activities from the right to access.

"Some of the restrictions on access remain too tight – for example will the ban on exercising access to golf courses for recreational purposes mean that kids will be banned from sledging on them in the winter?

"I have a real concern about what effect the bar on commercial activity might have, for example, on mountain guides and companies that run walking holidays.

"However, the combined opposition from a wide range of interested organisations has forced the Executive to re-think its approach to access rights under this Bill.

"I called for – and we now have – a presumption of a right of access right at the head of the Bill. I hope that the further concerns that will be raised now that the Bill has been published will also be dealt with.

"It is just a shame that so much time and energy for so many people had to be diverted towards turning round the dog's-breakfast that was the draft Bill.

"As regards the community right to buy, SNP support for this part of the Bill is on record but I am concerned that it is only a small step forward and still does not provide some of the more radical reforms that are needed."